Livability Score

84
/100
i The AreaVibes Livability Score evaluates 9 different categories and creates an overall score out of 100. The higher the score, the better the area.

amenities A+

There are lots of amenities close to this location.
Coffee (36) C-
Entertainment (14) A+
Food and Drink (59) D-
Fitness (20) A+
Groceries (15) F
Parks (138) A+
Shops (254) C+
See more Palo Alto amenity data

Neighborhoods with high amenity scores:

1. Crescent Park (A+)

2. Green Acres (A+)

3. Midtown (A+)

4. Jordan Jr Hgh School (A+)

5. Triple El (A-)

commute A+

Of all people who commute, 5.6% take public transportation in Palo Alto.
Public Transit Stops (273)
Stops & Stations A+
Workers Taking Public Transit
5.6% B
See more Palo Alto commute data

Neighborhoods with high commute scores:

1. Barron Park (A+)

2. Evergreen Park (A+)

3. Charleston Meadow (A+)

4. Fair Meadow (A-)

5. Esther Clark Park (B+)

cost of living F

The cost of living in Palo Alto is 335/100 - which is 140% higher than California.
Cost of Living
Goods & Services, Housing, etc. F
Tax Rates
Income & Sales Tax F
See more Palo Alto cost of living data

Neighborhoods with high cost of living scores:

1. Barron Park (F)

2. Charleston Gardens (F)

3. Charleston Meadow (F)

4. Crescent Park (F)

5. Downtown North (F)

crime C+

Palo Alto crime rates are 3,202 per 100k, which is 13% higher than California
Property Crime
2,996 crimes per 100k F
Violent Crime
206 crimes per 100k A-
See more Palo Alto crime data

Neighborhoods with high crime scores:

1. Jordan Jr Hgh School (A+)

2. Fair Meadow (A+)

3. Old Palo Alto (A-)

4. Midtown (A-)

5. Esther Clark Park (A-)

employment A+

The median income in Palo Alto is $174,003 - which is 173% higher than California.
Med. Household Income
$174,003 A+
Unemployment Rate
2.1% A+
See more Palo Alto employment data

Neighborhoods with high employment scores:

1. Downtown North (A+)

2. Barron Park (A+)

3. Charleston Gardens (A+)

4. Charleston Meadow (A+)

5. Crescent Park (A+)

health A+

There are many hospitals, police and fire stations.
Health & Safety (81)
Dentist, Doctor, Hospital, etc. A+
Air Quality
Median Air Quality B-
See more Palo Alto health & safety data

Neighborhoods with high health & safety scores:

1. Midtown (A+)

2. Triple El (A+)

3. Duveneck-Saint Francis (A+)

4. Fair Meadow (A+)

5. Esther Clark Park (A+)

housing C

Palo Alto home prices are $2,000,001 - which is 389% higher than California
Home Price
$2,000,001 A+
Home Appreciation Rate
15% A
Home Affordability
11.5x (home price to income ratio) F
See more Palo Alto housing data

Neighborhoods with high housing scores:

1. Ventura (B)

2. Barron Park (B-)

3. Charleston Meadow (B-)

4. Charleston Gardens (C+)

5. Green Acres (C+)

schools A+

The Palo Alto graduation rate is 97% - which is 22% higher than California
School Test Scores
81% A
High School Grad. Rates
97% A+
Elementary Schools (32) A+
High Schools (6) F
See more Palo Alto education data

Neighborhoods with high education scores:

1. Jordan Jr Hgh School (A+)

2. University South (A+)

3. Midtown (A+)

4. Old Palo Alto (A+)

5. Southgate (A+)

ratings A+

Palo Alto has an overall rating of 85% from 16 reviews.
User Reviews (2)
From AreaVibes A+
User Surveys (14)
From AreaVibes B+
See more Palo Alto user rating data

Neighborhoods with high user rating scores:

1. Charleston Meadow (A+)

2. Jordan Jr Hgh School (A+)

3. Duveneck-Saint Francis (A+)

4. Downtown North (B+)

5. Barron Park ()

Amenities Commute Cost of Living Crime Employment Health & Safety Housing Schools User Ratings

Palo Alto, CA Area Guide

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Photo of Palo Alto, CA
( 16 Ratings )

Living in Palo Alto, CA

Ranks better than 84% of areas Follow

Palo Alto Area Facts

  • Palo Alto has a Livability Score of 84/100, which is considered exceptional
  • Palo Alto crime rates are 13% higher than the California average
  • Cost of living in Palo Alto is 140% higher than the California average

What do the locals think about Palo Alto?

Based on 17 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll
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Palo Alto Reviews

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Palo Alto, CA - A Great Place to Visit 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Jul 19, 2011) I have visited Palo Alto twice for business in recent years. I have found it to be a fun trip each time. It has many things to offer for entertainment and fun.

One of my favorite places to go to is TheatreWorks. This is a live theatre with world class entertainment. It is very ...Read More popular so you should look into getting tickets early, but is well worth the visit.

The main thing you will notice about Palo Alto is restaurants. This is what Palo Alto seems to pride themselves on the most. The quality and amount of dining places will impress anyone. However, one downside is that at almost any restaurant you choose, there will most likely be a wait. I have even attempted to find a seat at 10 PM on a weeknight and still found there is a wait. For me this is a drawback but once you do get seated, the food will impress you greatly.

Whether you have a student looking for a college or not, one fun thing to do is to visit the Stanford Campus. This is one of the most beautiful campuses in America and a simple walk through the campus will take your breath way. Read Less
Palo Alto, CA - Western Days and Cowboys 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Jan 03, 2011) I have visited Palo Alto many times for business deals and always have a great time in this part of California. There is something about Palo Alto that reminds one of western days and cowboys. This gorgeous city has plenty to offer tourists and residents of the city.

Overall, I ...Read More was impressed by how much there was to do in Palo Alto. I loved the variety of mexican restaurants this city had to offer. It was simply shocking to have so many restaurants to choose from while I was visiting the city.

For business in particular, Palo Alto is a great city. Technology is huge in this city right now. As someone who works in the field of technology, I have many meetings with high powered tech executives in Palo Alto. There are also plenty of great colleges training young people to go into the field of technology in this city.

For night life, Palo Alto has plenty of great clubs and bars to choose from. It is a great time to go out at night in this city. I also love touring the museums of this city and seeing the natural wildlife.

Overall, Palo Alto is a great city with much to offer. Read Less
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Palo Alto Awards

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Compare Palo Alto, CA Livability

      vs

      A+ Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Palo Alto? Yes, there are lots of amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Rinconada Park
      Rinconada Park Playground
      Bowling Green Park
      Eleanor Pardee Park
      Scott Park
      Peers Park
      Heritage Park
      Jerry Bowden Park

      Entertainment

      Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
      Children's Theater
      Hewlett Packard's Garage
      Ray Field
      Palo Alto History Museum
      Museum of American Heritage
      Steuber Rugby Stadium
      Laird Q. Cagan Stadium

      Food & Drink

      Peninsula Creamery
      Domino's
      Baskin & Robbins Ice Cream
      Tin Pot Creamery
      Jamba Juice
      Kirk's Steaksburger
      Subway
      Papa Murphy's

      A+ Commute

      Is public transit available in Palo Alto? Of all people who commute, 5.6% take public transportation in Palo Alto.
      Drive to Work
      58%

      19% lower than the US average

      Take Public Transit
      6%

      equal to the US average

      Walk to Work
      5%

      2% higher than the US average

      F Cost of Living

      What is the cost of living in Palo Alto? The cost of living in Palo Alto is 335/100 - which is 140% higher than California.
      Palo Alto
      335

      235% more expensive than average

      California
      140

      40% more expensive than average

      United States
      100

      National cost of living index

      C+ Crime

      What is the crime rate in Palo Alto? Palo Alto crime rates are 3,202, which are 13% higher than California
      Total Crime
      3,202 per 100k people

      38% higher than the US average

      Chance of being a victim
      1 in 32

      38% higher than the US average

      Year-over-year crime
      4%

      Year over year crime is up

      A+ Employment

      What is the median income in Palo Alto? The median income in Palo Alto is $174,003 which is 173% higher than California.
      Median household income
      $174,003215% higher than the US average
      Income per capita
      $97,307226% higher than the US average
      Unemployment rate
      2%

      55% lower than the US average

      A+ Health & Safety

      Is Palo Alto a healthy and safe place to live? Yes, there are many hospitals, police and fire stations.

      Hospitals

      VA Palo Alto Health Care System

      Pharmacies

      CVS Pharmacy
      Hoover Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      Maximart Pharmacy
      CVS Pharmacy
      Walgreens
      Walgreens

      Doctors

      One Medical
      Acupuncture Clinic
      Davis Plastic Surgery
      Monica Stone Skin
      Palo Alto SpineMED
      Premiere Plastic Surgery
      Stanford Chiropractic Center
      ATI Physical Therapy

      C Housing

      What are Palo Alto home prices? Palo Alto home prices are $2,000,001 - which is 389% higher than California
      Median home value
      $2,000,001983% higher than the US average
      Median rent price
      $2,679182% higher than the US average
      Home Ownership
      56%

      11% lower than the US average

      A+ Schools

      Does Palo Alto have good schools? The Palo Alto graduation rate is 97% - which is 22% higher than California
      High school grad. rates
      97%

      17% higher than the US average

      School test scores
      81%

      69% higher than the US average

      Student teacher ratio
      18:1

      12% higher than the US average

      A+ User Ratings

      Is Palo Alto a good place to live? Palo Alto has an overall rating of 85% from 16 reviews.
      Overall user rating
      85%

      16 total ratings

      User reviews rating
      90%

      2 total reviews

      User surveys rating
      75%

      14 total surveys

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