Population
Sunnyvale
153,455
Palmdale
165,487
Median Income
Sunnyvale
$181,862
Palmdale
$81,151
Home Value
Sunnyvale
$1,816,600
Palmdale
$435,300
Rent
Sunnyvale
$3,065
Palmdale
$1,736
Crime Rate
Sunnyvale
2.45
Palmdale
5.51
Cost of Living
Sunnyvale
270.7
Palmdale
153.4
Avg Temp
Sunnyvale
N/A
Palmdale
N/A
Unemployment
Sunnyvale
4.1%
Palmdale
7.4%
How Similar Are Sunnyvale & Palmdale?
Palmdale is Sunnyvale's #18 most similar city
3 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Sunnyvale
153,455
Palmdale
165,487
Both cities have similar populations — Sunnyvale at 153,455 and Palmdale at 165,487.
Violent Crime
Sunnyvale
2.45
Palmdale
5.51
Palmdale's violent crime is significantly higher than Sunnyvale's — 55% difference.
Property Crime
Sunnyvale
19.09
Palmdale
18.65
Both cities have similar property crime — just a 2% difference.
Political Leaning
Sunnyvale
28.1%
Palmdale
31.9%
Both cities lean Democratic, but Palmdale has a stronger Democratic lean (12% difference).
Unemployment
Sunnyvale
4.1%
Palmdale
7.4%
Palmdale has a 45% higher unemployment than Sunnyvale.
Median Income
Sunnyvale
$181,862
Palmdale
$81,151
Sunnyvale's median income is significantly higher than Palmdale's — 55% difference.
Home Values
Sunnyvale
$1,816,600
Palmdale
$435,300
Sunnyvale's home values is significantly higher than Palmdale's — 76% difference.
Education
Sunnyvale
50.7%
Palmdale
10.2%
Sunnyvale's education is significantly higher than Palmdale's — 80% difference.
Demographics
Sunnyvale
30.4%
Palmdale
31.8%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 5% difference.
Cost of Living
Sunnyvale
270.7
Palmdale
153.4
Sunnyvale has a 43% higher cost of living than Palmdale.
3 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Sunnyvale and Palmdale differ in most key areas.
At a Glance
0
Sunnyvale
0
Palmdale
Sunnyvale leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Palmdale leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDPalmdale scores 203.8 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 400.0 in Sunnyvale. Palmdale has a living wage (1 adult) of $67,495 vs $119,109 in Sunnyvale (76% lower). Palmdale has a living wage (family of 4) of $159,534 vs $281,531 in Sunnyvale (76% lower).
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 — Palmdale leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSunnyvale has a median home value of $1,816,600 vs $435,300 in Palmdale (317% higher). Palmdale has a median property tax of $4,248 vs $9,006 in Sunnyvale (112% lower). Palmdale has a median rent of $1,736 vs $3,065 in Sunnyvale (77% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Sunnyvale leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSunnyvale has a per capita income of $95,752 vs $28,767 in Palmdale (233% higher). Sunnyvale has a work from home of 27.0% compared to 8.3% in Palmdale. Sunnyvale has a median household income of $181,862 vs $81,151 in Palmdale (124% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Palmdale leads
Source: FBI UCRSunnyvale has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.01 compared to 0.06 in Palmdale. Sunnyvale has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.58 compared to 1.52 in Palmdale. Sunnyvale has a assault rate (per 1k) of 1.59 compared to 3.65 in Palmdale.
Violent 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 — Sunnyvale leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauSunnyvale has a bachelor's degree or higher of 50.7% compared to 10.2% in Palmdale. Sunnyvale has a high school diploma or higher of 57.5% compared to 29.0% in Palmdale.
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 ACSPalmdale has a population of 165,487, about 1.1x the size of Sunnyvale (153,455). Palmdale skews younger with a median age of 33.2 vs 35.1.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Sunnyvale
Palmdale
Healthcare — Sunnyvale leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareSunnyvale: 3.8 vs Palmdale: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Sunnyvale: 5 vs Palmdale: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Sunnyvale leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSunnyvale has a bicycle of 1.5% compared to 0.0% in Palmdale. Sunnyvale has a public transit of 4.3% compared to 1.3% in Palmdale. Sunnyvale has a work from home of 27.0% compared to 8.3% in Palmdale.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Sunnyvale, CA
Compare Sunnyvale 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.