Mountain View, CA vs Los Altos, CA

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

MetricMountain View, CALos Altos, CA
Population83,73230,698
Median Household Income$189,917$250,000+
Median Rent$3,062/mo$3,500+/mo
Median Home Value$1,927,000$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income37.4%37.4%
Poverty Rate6%3.2%
Unemployment Rate3.6%4.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k20836
Property Crime Rate /100k2,4101,038
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr201201
Summer Highs77°F77°F
Winter Lows43°F43°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute23.3 min22.3 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher1918.4
College Degree Rate75%88.1%
Foreign-Born %42.9%35.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+3.5%-1.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent, $250,000+ for household income and $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above those. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.