Stanford, CA vs Menlo Park, CA

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

MetricStanford, CAMenlo Park, CA
Population18,66232,727
Median Household Income$75,208$210,025
Median Rent$1,976/mo$3,239/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)110116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income65.7%44.9%
Poverty Rate15.9%5.8%
Unemployment Rate4.3% (county)3.6%
Violent Crime Rate /100k252*182
Property Crime Rate /100k1,538*1,548
Median AQI4727
Good AQI Days /yr201281
Summer Highs79°F79°F
Winter Lows40°F40°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute14.6 min23.9 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher19.416.8
College Degree Rate92.3%72.5%
Foreign-Born %26.1%30%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+10.0%-3.1%

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.