What it's like to live in East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. East Palo Alto deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How East Palo Alto compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to East Palo Alto
Based on East Palo Alto's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,488
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $89,760 a year
- 56% of East Palo Alto renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$220,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $110,260
- Homes cost 9.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 59% above US
$2,244/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,244 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,102,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,102,600 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 68% above US
552 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1609/100k · East Palo Alto Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 26% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (25 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
East Palo Alto's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,244/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
See all the data for East Palo Alto →·All California cities →
Other places near East Palo Alto
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