Stanford, CA vs Palo Alto, CA

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

MetricStanford, CAPalo Alto, CA
Population18,66267,237
Median Household Income$75,208$231,101
Median Rent$1,976/mo$3,484/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income65.7%42%
Poverty Rate15.9%6%
Unemployment Rate4.3% (county)3.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k252*159
Property Crime Rate /100k1,538*2,882
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr201201
Summer Highs79°F79°F
Winter Lows40°F40°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute14.6 min21.4 min
Hospitals—3
Avg Hospital Rating—5.0 / 5
Students per Teacher19.417.2
College Degree Rate92.3%82.3%
Foreign-Born %26.1%37%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+10.0%-1.4%

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.