Population
Potomac
46,230
Los Altos
30,736
Median Income
Potomac
$239,205
Los Altos
$250,001
Home Value
Potomac
$1,105,900
Los Altos
$2,000,001
Rent
Potomac
$2,616
Los Altos
$3,501
Crime Rate
Potomac
N/A
Los Altos
0.78
Cost of Living
Potomac
295.3
Los Altos
296.3
Avg Temp
Potomac
N/A
Los Altos
N/A
Unemployment
Potomac
3.6%
Los Altos
4.4%
How Similar Are Potomac & Los Altos?
Los Altos is Potomac's #21 most similar city
3 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Potomac
46,230
Los Altos
30,736
Potomac has a 34% larger population than Los Altos.
Political Leaning
Potomac
21.9%
Los Altos
28.1%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Los Altos has a stronger Democratic lean (22% difference).
Unemployment
Potomac
3.6%
Los Altos
4.4%
Los Altos has a 18% higher unemployment than Potomac.
Median Income
Potomac
$239,205
Los Altos
$250,001
Both cities have similar median income — just a 4% difference.
Home Values
Potomac
$1,105,900
Los Altos
$2,000,001
Los Altos has a 45% higher home values than Potomac.
Education
Potomac
58.6%
Los Altos
60.2%
Both cities have similar education — just a 3% difference.
Demographics
Potomac
61.5%
Los Altos
51.8%
Potomac has a 16% higher demographics than Los Altos.
Cost of Living
Potomac
295.3
Los Altos
296.3
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 0% difference.
3 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Potomac and Los Altos differ in most key areas.
At a Glance
0
Potomac
0
Los Altos
Los Altos leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Potomac leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDPotomac has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,246 vs $3,483 in Los Altos (36% lower). Potomac has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,015 vs $2,982 in Los Altos (32% lower). Los Altos scores 193.1 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 202.8 in Potomac.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Potomac leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPotomac has a vacancy rate of 3.3% compared to 7.4% in Los Altos. Los Altos has a median home value of $2,000,001 vs $1,105,900 in Potomac (45% higher). Potomac has a median rent of $2,616 vs $3,501 in Los Altos (25% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Los Altos leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPotomac: 22,895 vs Los Altos: 14,128 for labor force. Los Altos: 15 min vs Potomac: 21 min for mean commute. Los Altos has a per capita income of $142,907 vs $109,051 in Potomac (24% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Los Altos leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauLos Altos has a bachelor's degree or higher of 60.2% compared to 58.6% in Potomac. Los Altos has a high school diploma or higher of 62.2% compared to 61.4% in Potomac.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPotomac has a population of 46,230, about 1.5x the size of Los Altos (30,736). Los Altos skews younger with a median age of 46.0 vs 47.0.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Potomac
Los Altos
Healthcare — Los Altos leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareLos Altos: 4.3 vs Potomac: 2.7 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Los Altos leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPotomac has a public transit of 4.2% compared to 1.4% in Los Altos. Los Altos has a bicycle of 2.3% compared to 0.2% in Potomac. Los Altos: 15 min vs Potomac: 21 min for mean commute time.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Potomac, MD
Compare Potomac against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.