Map the Block › Places › California › Palo Alto
What are the crime rate and median income in Palo Alto, CA?
According to the FBI, Palo Alto had 1.6 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2025, 63% lower than the California rate (4.3). The median household income is $231,101 and the median home value is $2,000,000+. About 67,237 people live in Palo Alto.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income by neighborhood · home values · schools
What is the crime rate in Palo Alto?
In 2025 the Palo Alto Police Department reported 107 violent crimes to the FBI, which works out to 1.6 per 1,000 people. That is 63% lower than the California rate (4.3), and 52% lower than the national rate (3.3). Property crime came to 1,927 offenses (28.6 per 1,000; California: 17.9). Compared with 2021, when 12 were reported, the count is up 792%.
| Offense (2025) | Palo Alto count | Per 1,000 | California per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 107 | 1.6 | 4.3 | 3.3 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| Rape | 12 | 0.18 | 0.33 | 0.36 |
| Robbery | 21 | 0.31 | 0.95 | 0.49 |
| Aggravated assault | 74 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
| Property crime | 1,927 | 28.6 | 17.9 | 15.3 |
| Burglary | 184 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,671 | 24.8 | 12.0 | 11.4 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 72 | 1.1 | 3.2 | 2.0 |
How has crime in Palo Alto changed since 2021?
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12 | 221 | 0 |
| 2022 | 138 | 1,978 | 0 |
| 2023 | 139 | 1,834 | 0 |
| 2024 | 141 | 1,986 | 1 |
| 2025 | 107 | 1,927 | 0 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. City figures are the Palo Alto Police Department's own reports.
How does Palo Alto compare with California?
The median household income in Palo Alto is $231,101, about 2.3 times the California median ($99,122). The median owner-occupied home is worth $2,000,000+ by owners' estimates, and half of renters pay more than $3,484 a month. About 67,237 people live on 24 square miles of land, roughly 2,796 per square mile. The city lies in Santa Clara County and San Mateo County.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Palo Alto | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,237 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $231,101 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $2,000,000+ | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $3,484 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.9% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 6.0% | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 82.3% | 37.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 54.6% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 43.6 | 37.9 | 38.9 |
What environmental sites and hazards are in Palo Alto?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Palo Alto: Hewlett-Packard (620-640 Page Mill Road). A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
The National Inventory of Dams lists 1 high-hazard dam in Palo Alto. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 1 is rated Satisfactory or Fair. The tallest is Foothill Park (86 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Santa Clara County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: river flooding (Very High), earthquakes (Very High), heat waves (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Is there road construction in Palo Alto?
No highway work zones were listed in Palo Alto city limits in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in or near Palo Alto?
Federal school lists place 17 public and 20 private schools within Palo Alto. 2 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes are in the city. Within about 15 miles: 11 state parks or recreation areas: Año Nuevo State Park, Bean Hollow State Beach, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Burleigh H. Murray Ranch and Butano State Park and 6 more.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Palo Alto
Gun shops
No gun shops or licensed gun dealers are on the map inside the Palo Alto city limits.
Liquor stores
3 liquor stores are on the map inside the Palo Alto city limits: Barron Park Market (Palo Alto), Ernies Liquor (Palo Alto) and Palo Alto Fine Wine & Spirits (Palo Alto).
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center inside the Palo Alto city limits on the map.
See them on the map: liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Palo Alto?
In 2025, Palo Alto had 1.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (107 reported), 63% lower than the California rate (4.3). The property-crime rate was 28.6 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Palo Alto?
$231,101 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024), compared with $99,122 for California.
How much do homes cost in Palo Alto?
The median value of owner-occupied homes is $2,000,000+ (Census ACS 2020-2024), against $734,700 statewide.
What natural hazards affect Palo Alto?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, Santa Clara County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: river flooding (Very High), earthquakes (Very High), heat waves (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High).
Nearby cities
Mountain View, CA (4 mi) · Sunnyvale, CA (6 mi) · Cupertino, CA (8 mi) · Redwood City, CA (9 mi) · Santa Clara, CA (10 mi) · Fremont, CA (13 mi)
More: California statewide numbers · county pages: Santa Clara County and San Mateo County · Sex-offender registry search (NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, agency counts 2021-2025 (Return A); state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables, for the Census place Palo Alto city.
- Land area: Census 2024 Gazetteer. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores (county level).
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026).
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026).
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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