Population 39,791 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Menlo Park
Household size in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.72 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.91 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.79 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Menlo Park average 2.79 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Household size has climbed from 2.58 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.1 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.5 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.2 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.4 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
At 40.4, the median age in Menlo Park is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.1, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Menlo Park: 6.5% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Menlo Park has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of California cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Menlo Park
Renters in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.8% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.0% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 42.0% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Menlo Park than nationally: 42.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. About a third of owners (34.2%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the south. The renter share has risen 4.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Menlo Park than nationally: 11.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 5.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1959 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Menlo Park is a place of older homes: half were built before 1967, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1959 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,709 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,704 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,427 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,095 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,387 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Menlo Park runs $3,095 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,387 a month from 2006–10, an 81% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 28.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Menlo Park
Bachelor's degrees in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.4% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 66.6% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 66.9% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 72.5% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Menlo Park is highly educated: just over seven in ten adults 25 and older (72.5%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only 42 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.5% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.1% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.8% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Menlo Park have finished high school (92.5%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 1.0 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Menlo Park
| Period | Menlo Park | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.8% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.0%, unemployment in Menlo Park is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the San Francisco area as a whole (5.8%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Menlo Park compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo Park | 2.79 | 40.4 | 6.5% | 42.0% | 11.7% | 1967 | $3,095 | 72.5% | 92.5% | 5.0% |
| Atherton | 2.78 | 44.1 | 4.0% | 16.2% | 15.9% | 1963 | $3,422 | 80.5% | 97.7% | 3.7% |
| North Fair Oaks | 3.70 | 34.7 | 16.9% | 59.7% | 6.9% | 1967 | $2,231 | 20.1% | 70.3% | 8.8% |
| East Palo Alto | 3.72 | 36.3 | 12.9% | 50.8% | 10.8% | 1965 | $2,599 | 27.8% | 76.1% | 4.5% |
| Stanford | 1.87 | 23.7 | 7.0% | 74.5% | 21.6% | 1989 | $1,998 | 88.8% | 96.0% | 10.0% |
| Palo Alto | 2.64 | 44.2 | 6.1% | 45.5% | 10.9% | 1964 | $3,187 | 82.7% | 96.8% | 4.2% |
| Redwood City | 2.78 | 39.7 | 8.3% | 48.1% | 7.1% | 1970 | $3,033 | 55.4% | 87.4% | 4.3% |
| Woodside | 2.94 | 43.1 | 5.1% | 14.6% | 9.3% | 1966 | $3,298 | 74.5% | 99.0% | 4.3% |
| Portola Valley | 2.55 | 56.8 | 2.0% | 17.3% | 8.3% | 1966 | $3,499 | 81.9% | 94.2% | 3.9% |
| San Carlos | 2.76 | 42.6 | 6.4% | 31.0% | 6.9% | 1962 | $3,060 | 71.2% | 96.9% | 4.7% |
| Los Altos Hills | 2.78 | 54.1 | 3.4% | 7.4% | 10.5% | 1975 | $3,488 | 83.8% | 98.9% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Atwater, CA · Wooster, OH · Westfield, MA · West Hollywood, CA · Warminster, PA · Walla Walla, WA · Venice, CA · Vega Baja, PR · Starkville, MS · DeKalb, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Menlo Park. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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