Population 3,642 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Old Palo Alto
Household size in Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.50 | 2.97 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.54 | 3.05 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 3.07 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.62 | 2.64 | 2.96 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | +0.15 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.62 people per household, Old Palo Alto sits close to the national average of 2.65.
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 Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.5 | 40.9 | 36.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.9 | 41.8 | 37.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.0 | 42.5 | 38.5 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.1 | 44.2 | 39.4 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +3.4 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.1, Old Palo Alto is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.5, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 6.3% | 10.4% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 6.0% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 6.1% | 9.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.2 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.4% of households in Old Palo Alto, well below the national share of 11.6%. Still, single parents are more common here than in Palo Alto overall (6.1%).
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 Old Palo Alto
Renters in Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.1% | 42.1% | 40.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.4% | 45.4% | 42.9% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.6% | 45.2% | 43.4% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.6% | 45.5% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +3.4 pts | +3.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Old Palo Alto is about as common as it is nationally: 32.6% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Palo Alto overall (45.5%). Among homeowners, 49.4% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 7.0% | 6.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 6.8% | 4.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 7.8% | 5.6% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 10.9% | 6.4% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +3.9 pts | +0.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Old Palo Alto than nationally: 11.2%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The picture is much the same across Palo Alto.
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 Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1946 | 1960 | 1973 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1947 | 1961 | 1974 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1945 | 1962 | 1975 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1947 | 1964 | 1977 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Old Palo Alto is a place of older homes: half were built before 1947, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,856 | $1,685 | $1,524 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,994 | $1,888 | $1,670 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $3,072 | $2,672 | $2,389 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,501 | $3,187 | $2,873 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,645 | +$1,503 | +$1,348 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Old Palo Alto runs $3,501 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 17.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Old Palo Alto
Bachelor's degrees in Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.7% | 79.2% | 43.9% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 84.3% | 80.1% | 46.5% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 90.1% | 83.2% | 51.6% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 87.2% | 82.7% | 55.3% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +3.5 pts | +11.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Old Palo Alto: 87.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.8% | 97.6% | 85.5% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 100.0% | 97.4% | 86.4% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.3% | 97.5% | 88.1% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.4% | 96.8% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.8 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Old Palo Alto: 98.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Old Palo Alto
| Period | Old Palo Alto | Palo Alto | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.9% | 5.1% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 5.7% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 3.1% | 4.4% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 4.2% | 4.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.9 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Old Palo Alto has been low: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Old Palo Alto compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Palo Alto | 2.62 | 46.1 | 7.4% | 32.6% | 11.2% | 1947 | $3,501 | 87.2% | 98.4% | 2.0% |
| University South | 2.37 | 47.0 | 5.9% | 56.0% | 17.4% | 1962 | $2,959 | 86.7% | 96.6% | 4.2% |
| Midtown-San Jose | 2.89 | 40.7 | 9.3% | 43.4% | 11.3% | 1963 | $3,402 | 79.2% | 98.6% | 6.9% |
| Duveneck-Saint Francis | 2.75 | 50.0 | 2.5% | 12.8% | 4.8% | 1954 | $3,501 | 83.1% | 99.2% | 11.3% |
| Crescent Park | 2.82 | 42.5 | 4.6% | 27.2% | 8.6% | 1943 | $3,501 | 88.0% | 97.9% | 3.1% |
| Ventura | 2.15 | 38.8 | 3.3% | 61.4% | 11.8% | 1968 | $2,996 | 79.7% | 99.0% | 2.1% |
| Stanford University | 1.85 | 23.2 | 7.1% | 79.6% | 21.6% | 1990 | $1,997 | 88.6% | 96.0% | 10.3% |
| Downtown North San Jose | 2.16 | 50.0 | 6.3% | 72.5% | 18.0% | 1966 | $2,417 | 74.2% | 92.9% | 0.0% |
| Barron Park | 3.14 | 41.4 | 11.2% | 37.6% | 11.9% | 1972 | $3,116 | 73.9% | 91.1% | 4.9% |
| Fairmeadow | 2.94 | 46.9 | 6.5% | 31.6% | 6.7% | 1962 | $2,994 | 87.7% | 98.1% | 4.5% |
| Downtown Menlo Park | 1.89 | 43.1 | 7.0% | 86.0% | 12.7% | 1969 | $2,851 | 76.7% | 93.1% | 1.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Second Creek, Mobile, AL · Northwood Hills, West Palm Beach, FL · Ol Sun, Clifton, CO · Olde Providence North, Charlotte, NC · Parkmont, Fremont, CA · Pearl-Meigs-Monroe, Rochester, NY · Prairie Hills, Madison, WI · Ridgeview Estates, Bakersfield, CA · Ridgewood Junction, Glen Rock, NJ · River Park, Sacramento, CA
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 Old Palo Alto. 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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