Residential comparison · 13 facts
Los Altos, CA vs Palo Alto, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Los Altos needs about $76,500 in Palo Alto to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Palo Alto, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $93,500 in Los Altos.
A few differences
- Los Altos is higher on median household income ($250,001 vs $231,101).
Los Altos vs Palo Alto · facet by facet
| Facet | Los Altos, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $2,000,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,501/mo | $3,501/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 228 | 228 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $231,101 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Los Altos, CA · Palo Alto, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Los Altos cheaper than Palo Alto?
- Los Altos and Palo Alto display the same day-to-day cost index; the differences show up facet by facet in the table above.
- What household income in Palo Alto equals $85,000 in Los Altos?
- A household earning $85,000 in Los Altos needs about $76,500 in Palo Alto to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Palo Alto lifestyle costs about $93,500 in Los Altos.