Residential comparison · 13 facts
Mountain View, 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 Mountain View needs about $86,500 in Palo Alto to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Palo Alto, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Mountain View.
A few differences
- Palo Alto is higher on median household income ($231,101 vs $189,917).
- Mountain View is lower on cost of living index (222 vs 228).
- Mountain View is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($3,340/mo vs $3,501/mo).
Mountain View vs Palo Alto · facet by facet
| Facet | Mountain View, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,927,000 | $2,000,001 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,340/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 | 222 | 228 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $189,917 | $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: Mountain View, CA · Palo Alto, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Mountain View cheaper than Palo Alto?
- Mountain View has the lower day-to-day cost index (222 vs 228 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Palo Alto equals $85,000 in Mountain View?
- A household earning $85,000 in Mountain View needs about $86,500 in Palo Alto to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Palo Alto lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Mountain View.