Menlo Park, CA vs Palo Alto, CA

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

MetricMenlo Park, CAPalo Alto, CA
Population32,72767,237
Median Household Income$210,025$231,101
Median Rent$3,239/mo$3,484/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)116110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income44.9%42%
Poverty Rate5.8%6%
Unemployment Rate3.6%3.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k182159
Property Crime Rate /100k1,5482,882
Median AQI2747
Good AQI Days /yr281201
Summer Highs79°F79°F
Winter Lows40°F40°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute23.9 min21.4 min
Hospitals—3
Avg Hospital Rating—5.0 / 5
Students per Teacher16.817.2
College Degree Rate72.5%82.3%
Foreign-Born %30%37%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-3.1%-1.4%

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.