Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County, California, home to about 67,237 people across 24 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 94028, 94301, 94304, 94306 and 95033, and parts of 94022 and 94303 are in Palo Alto too.
Homes sold for a median of $1,730 per square foot across 4 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 3 of 4 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Palo Alto; also Portola Valley and Ladera
All in Palo Alto
Mostly Palo Alto; also Stanford
All in Palo Alto
Mostly Palo Alto; also Lexington Hills
Mostly Los Altos; part is in Palo Alto
Mostly East Palo Alto; part is in Palo Alto
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Palo Alto. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Palo Alto’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Palo Alto well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)12 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | San Jose, CA19 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA314 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Palo Alto; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Palo Alto had 68,572 residents in the 2020 census, up 17% since 2000.
It’s the 137th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Santa Clara County grew from 60,216 residents in 1900 to 1,936,259 in 2020.
Santa Clara County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 80°F in summer, and winter lows average 39°F. About 15.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Palo Alto, CA weather station (3 miles away).
1,171,397 jobs at 49,154 businesses in Santa Clara County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
5,093 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Palo Alto’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 594 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1,852 |
| Dentists | 172 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 803 |
| Mental health providers | 1,181 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 382 |
| Optometrists | 76 |
| Chiropractors | 33 |
| Pharmacies | 18 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (71 nearby)
Grocery stores (23 nearby)
Pharmacies (13 nearby)
Libraries (26 nearby)
Museums (9 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (14 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1894.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Palo Alto Unified, Lakeside Joint, Los Gatos Union Elementary and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addison ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 366 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| Barron Park ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 278 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Duveneck ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 376 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| El Carmelo ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 282 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Fairmeadow ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 425 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| GreendellPalo Alto | K | 26 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Herbert Hoover ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 389 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Juana Briones ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 260 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Lakeside ElementaryLos Gatos | K–5 | 64 | Public | 16.1 mi |
| Lexington ElementaryLos Gatos | K–5 | 174 | Public | 17.6 mi |
| Loma Prieta ElementaryLos Gatos | K–5 | 259 | Public | 22.2 mi |
| Ohlone ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 464 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Ormondale ElementaryPortola Valley | K–3 | 243 | Public | 4.6 mi |
| Packard Children's Hospital/StanfordPalo Alto | K–12 | 15 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| Palo Verde ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 334 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Walter Hays ElementaryPalo Alto | K–5 | 305 | Public | 2.6 mi |
| Corte MaderaPortola Valley | 4–8 | 252 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| C. T. English MiddleLos Gatos | 6–8 | 164 | Public | 22.2 mi |
| Ellen Fletcher MiddlePalo Alto | 6–8 | 572 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Frank S. Greene Jr. MiddlePalo Alto | 6–8 | 732 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Jane Lathrop Stanford MiddlePalo Alto | 6–8 | 1,002 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Henry M. Gunn HighPalo Alto | 9–12 | 1,643 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Palo Alto HighPalo Alto | 9–12 | 1,891 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headsup Child Development Center Palo AltoPalo Alto | Pre-K–7 | 60 | Nonsectarian | 2.8 mi |
| Hope Technology SchoolPalo Alto | Pre-K–12 | 92 | Nonsectarian | 3.1 mi |
| Odyssey MontessoriPalo Alto | Pre-K–K | 2 | Nonsectarian | 2.5 mi |
| Silicon Valley International SchoolPalo Alto | Pre-K–12 | 567 | Nonsectarian | 3.3 mi |
| St Elizabeth Seton SchoolPalo Alto | Pre-K–8 | 179 | Roman Catholic | 3.0 mi |
| Woodland SchoolPortola Valley | Pre-K–8 | 272 | Nonsectarian | 3.1 mi |
| Gideon Hausner Jewish Day SchoolPalo Alto | TK–8 | 277 | Jewish | 2.1 mi |
| Imagination Lab SchoolPalo Alto | TK–7 | 34 | Nonsectarian | 2.0 mi |
| Living Wisdom School of Palo AltoPalo Alto | TK–12 | 71 | Nonsectarian | 1.5 mi |
| Keys Family Day SchoolPalo Alto | K–8 | 321 | Nonsectarian | 1.9 mi |
| Keys Family Day SchoolPalo Alto | K–8 | 323 | Nonsectarian | 1.0 mi |
| Tru SchoolPalo Alto | K–5 | 31 | Nonsectarian | 2.7 mi |
| Achieve Inc.Palo Alto | 1–12 | 58 | Nonsectarian | 1.9 mi |
| Athena AcademyPalo Alto | 1–8 | 61 | Nonsectarian | 2.1 mi |
| The Vr SchoolPalo Alto | 1–12 | 630 | Nonsectarian | 1.5 mi |
| Castilleja SchoolPalo Alto | 6–12 | 424 | Nonsectarian | 2.3 mi |
| Fusion Academy - Palo AltoPalo Alto | 6–12 | 27 | Nonsectarian | 3.2 mi |
| The Girls' Middle SchoolPalo Alto | 6–8 | 198 | Nonsectarian | 2.7 mi |
| Woodside Priory SchoolPortola Valley | 6–12 | 427 | Roman Catholic | 4.5 mi |
| Kehillah Jewish High SchoolPalo Alto | 9–12 | 189 | Jewish | 2.4 mi |
| Living Widsom High SchoolPalo Alto | 9–12 | 23 | Other religious | 1.9 mi |
| Meira AcademyPalo Alto | 11–12 | 6 | Jewish | 2.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
Buying or selling around Palo Alto? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley, Mountain View (Santa Clara County), Lexington Hills, Stanford and Ladera.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.