Residential comparison · 13 facts
Palo Alto, CA vs Sunnyvale, 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 Palo Alto needs about $84,500 in Sunnyvale to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Sunnyvale, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Palo Alto.
A few differences
- Palo Alto is higher on median household income ($231,101 vs $186,170).
- Sunnyvale is lower on cost of living index (214 vs 228).
- Sunnyvale is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($3,269/mo vs $3,501/mo).
Palo Alto vs Sunnyvale · facet by facet
| Facet | Palo Alto, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $2,000,001 | $1,801,800 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,501/mo | $3,269/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 | 214 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $231,101 | $186,170 |
| 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: Palo Alto, CA · Sunnyvale, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Palo Alto cheaper than Sunnyvale?
- Sunnyvale has the lower day-to-day cost index (214 vs 228 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Sunnyvale equals $85,000 in Palo Alto?
- A household earning $85,000 in Palo Alto needs about $84,500 in Sunnyvale to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Sunnyvale lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Palo Alto.