Palo Alto, CA vs Stanford, CA

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

MetricPalo Alto, CAStanford, CA
Population67,23718,662
Median Household Income$231,101$75,208
Median Rent$3,484/mo$1,976/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income42%65.7%
Poverty Rate6%15.9%
Unemployment Rate3.9%4.3% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k159252*
Property Crime Rate /100k2,8821,538*
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr201201
Summer Highs79°F79°F
Winter Lows40°F40°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute21.4 min14.6 min
Hospitals3—
Avg Hospital Rating5.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher17.219.4
College Degree Rate82.3%92.3%
Foreign-Born %37%26.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-1.4%+10.0%

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.
* Rate of the agency that polices Stanford (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.