Stanford, CA vs Los Altos, CA

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

MetricStanford, CALos Altos, CA
Population18,66230,698
Median Household Income$75,208$250,000+
Median Rent$1,976/mo$3,500+/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income65.7%37.4%
Poverty Rate15.9%3.2%
Unemployment Rate4.3% (county)4.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k252*36
Property Crime Rate /100k1,538*1,038
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr201201
Summer Highs79°F77°F
Winter Lows40°F43°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute14.6 min22.3 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher19.418.4
College Degree Rate92.3%88.1%
Foreign-Born %26.1%35.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+10.0%-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.
* Rate of the agency that polices Stanford (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.