Menlo Park, CA vs East Palo Alto, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricMenlo Park, CAEast Palo Alto, CA
Population32,72729,069
Median Household Income$210,025$113,493
Median Rent$3,239/mo$2,244/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$1,102,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)116116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income44.9%55.7%
Poverty Rate5.8%10.3%
Unemployment Rate3.6%3.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k182552
Property Crime Rate /100k1,5481,609
Median AQI2727
Good AQI Days /yr281281
Summer Highs79°F79°F
Winter Lows40°F40°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute23.9 min23.7 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher16.818.5
College Degree Rate72.5%26.8%
Foreign-Born %30%44.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-3.1%-3.9%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.