Population
Potomac
46,230
Palo Alto
67,231
Median Income
Potomac
$239,205
Palo Alto
$220,408
Home Value
Potomac
$1,105,900
Palo Alto
$2,000,001
Rent
Potomac
$2,616
Palo Alto
$3,328
Crime Rate
Potomac
N/A
Palo Alto
2.12
Cost of Living
Potomac
295.3
Palo Alto
286.4
Avg Temp
Potomac
N/A
Palo Alto
N/A
Unemployment
Potomac
3.6%
Palo Alto
3.7%
How Similar Are Potomac & Palo Alto?
Palo Alto is Potomac's #5 most similar city
4 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Potomac
46,230
Palo Alto
67,231
Palo Alto has a 31% larger population than Potomac.
Political Leaning
Potomac
21.9%
Palo Alto
28.1%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Palo Alto has a stronger Democratic lean (22% difference).
Unemployment
Potomac
3.6%
Palo Alto
3.7%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 2% difference.
Median Income
Potomac
$239,205
Palo Alto
$220,408
Both cities have similar median income — just a 8% difference.
Home Values
Potomac
$1,105,900
Palo Alto
$2,000,001
Palo Alto has a 45% higher home values than Potomac.
Education
Potomac
58.6%
Palo Alto
59.0%
Both cities have similar education — just a 1% difference.
Demographics
Potomac
61.5%
Palo Alto
48.4%
Potomac has a 21% higher demographics than Palo Alto.
Cost of Living
Potomac
295.3
Palo Alto
286.4
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.
4 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Potomac and Palo Alto share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Potomac
0
Palo Alto
Palo Alto leads in 5 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Palo Alto leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDPotomac has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,246 vs $3,483 in Palo Alto (36% lower). Potomac has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,015 vs $2,982 in Palo Alto (32% lower). Palo Alto scores 175.9 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 10.5% in Palo Alto. Potomac has a owner-occupied of 85.1% compared to 54.2% in Palo Alto. Palo Alto has a median home value of $2,000,001 vs $1,105,900 in Potomac (45% higher).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Palo Alto leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPalo Alto: 15 min vs Potomac: 21 min for mean commute. Palo Alto: 34,161 vs Potomac: 22,895 for labor force. Potomac has a poverty rate of 3.7% compared to 5.4% in Palo Alto.
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 — Palo Alto leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauPalo Alto has a high school diploma or higher of 62.7% 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 ACSPalo Alto has a population of 67,231, about 1.5x the size of Potomac (46,230). Palo Alto skews younger with a median age of 42.5 vs 47.0.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Potomac
Palo Alto
Healthcare — Palo Alto leads
Source: CMS Hospital ComparePalo Alto: 4.5 vs Potomac: 2.7 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Palo Alto leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPalo Alto has a bicycle of 6.9% compared to 0.2% in Potomac. Palo Alto: 15 min vs Potomac: 21 min for mean commute time. Potomac has a public transit of 4.2% compared to 3.1% in Palo Alto.
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.