Palo Alto, CA vs Mountain View, CA

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

MetricPalo Alto, CAMountain View, CA
Population67,23783,732
Median Household Income$231,101$189,917
Median Rent$3,484/mo$3,062/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$1,927,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income42%37.4%
Poverty Rate6%6%
Unemployment Rate3.9%3.6%
Violent Crime Rate /100k159208
Property Crime Rate /100k2,8822,410
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr201201
Summer Highs79°F77°F
Winter Lows40°F43°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute21.4 min23.3 min
Hospitals31
Avg Hospital Rating5.0 / 54.0 / 5
Students per Teacher17.219
College Degree Rate82.3%75%
Foreign-Born %37%42.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.4%+3.5%

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.