Income & Economy in Palo Alto, CA
Household income, poverty rates, employment, and economic data — 2023 ACS Data
Income Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Median Household Income
$220,408
+201% vs national
Per Capita Income
$121,565
+227% vs national
Poverty Rate
5.4%
-60% vs national
Gini Index
0.4950
0 = perfect equality
Unemployment
3.7%
-29% vs national
SNAP Recipients
2.6%
of households
How Palo Alto Compares
Source: Census ACS (2023)Palo Alto vs Similar Cities
Source: Census ACS (2023)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Palo Alto is highlighted.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Where Do You Stack Up?
Enter your household income to see how you compare to other households in Palo Alto. The median household income here is $220,408.
Income Distribution
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Employment Snapshot
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Unemployment Rate
3.7%
-51% vs CA avg
Labor Force
34,161
Employed
32,865
Mean Commute
15 min
How People Get to Work
Source: Census ACS (2023)Employment by Sector
Source: Census ACS (2023)Education & Workforce
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Bachelor's Degree+
59.0%
of adults 25+
High School Diploma+
62.7%
of adults 25+
Median Age
42.5
Work from Home
33.3%
of workers
The median household income in Palo Alto, CA is $220,408, which is 201.0% above the national average of $73,224. Per capita income is $121,565. The poverty rate of 5.4% is lower than the CA state average of 13.0%. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.4950, where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 represents maximum inequality. The unemployment rate is 3.7%, compared to the state average of 7.6%. 59.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The average commute time is 15 minutes, with 33.3% working from home.