Population 6,763 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of South Los Altos: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in South Los Altos
Household size in South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.66 | 2.97 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.66 | 2.72 | 3.05 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.93 | 2.81 | 3.07 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.88 | 2.79 | 2.96 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.23 | +0.14 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in South Los Altos average 2.88 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.66, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the west 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 South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.1 | 45.7 | 36.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.8 | 46.2 | 37.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.5 | 46.8 | 38.5 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.6 | 46.7 | 39.4 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.4 | +1.0 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
South Los Altos skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.6, against 40.1 nationally. Even so, the population here is younger than in Los Altos as a whole, where the median age is 46.7. The median age has dropped from 44.1 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
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 South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 6.1% | 10.4% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 4.1% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 4.3% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 4.5% | 9.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.9% of households in South Los Altos, well below the national share of 11.6%. Even so, single parents are more common here than in Los Altos overall (4.5%). The single-parent share is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 South Los Altos
Renters in South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 15.9% | 40.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.5% | 17.4% | 42.9% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 21.2% | 43.4% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.7% | 21.9% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +6.0 pts | +3.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in South Los Altos rent their homes (29.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Still, renters make up a bigger share here than in Los Altos overall (21.9%). Among homeowners, 40.0% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 6.4 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 4.9% | 6.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 5.0% | 5.6% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 8.1% | 6.4% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +3.3 pts | +0.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in South Los Altos than nationally: 6.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Los Altos as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 0.6 points, 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 South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1962 | 1973 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1963 | 1974 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1965 | 1975 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1967 | 1977 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in South Los Altos is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1966, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The picture is much the same across Los Altos. The newest homes are mostly in the south, the oldest in the east.
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 South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,812 | $1,881 | $1,524 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,956 | $1,988 | $1,670 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $3,193 | $3,170 | $2,389 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,401 | $3,499 | $2,873 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,590 | +$1,618 | +$1,348 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in South Los Altos costs $3,401 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,590 a month from 2006–10, an 88% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 27.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the center.
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 South Los Altos
Bachelor's degrees in South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.8% | 77.4% | 43.9% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 70.7% | 79.1% | 46.5% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.7% | 83.1% | 51.6% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 83.0% | 86.7% | 55.3% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.2 pts | +9.4 pts | +11.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in South Los Altos: 83.0% 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. Even so, the share is lower than in Los Altos overall (86.7%). The share with a degree has risen 12.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.0% | 98.3% | 85.5% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.7% | 98.5% | 86.4% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.0% | 98.0% | 88.1% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.4% | 98.7% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.4 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in South Los Altos: 97.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Los Altos as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 South Los Altos
| Period | South Los Altos | Los Altos | San Jose area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 5.9% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 5.2% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 3.4% | 4.4% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in South Los Altos is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Los Altos overall (4.8%). 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).
South Los Altos 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Los Altos | 2.88 | 41.6 | 7.9% | 29.7% | 6.8% | 1966 | $3,401 | 83.0% | 97.4% | 6.0% |
| Sunnyvale West | 2.58 | 37.4 | 5.7% | 59.1% | 6.1% | 1972 | $3,228 | 77.6% | 96.5% | 4.0% |
| Martens-Carmelita | 2.55 | 39.7 | 7.7% | 72.8% | 7.2% | 1973 | $2,813 | 74.2% | 94.4% | 6.3% |
| Cuesta Park | 2.85 | 41.1 | 6.5% | 34.0% | 5.7% | 1962 | $3,084 | 83.9% | 97.5% | 4.4% |
| Heritage District | 2.30 | 35.4 | 4.3% | 83.4% | 6.9% | 1979 | $2,987 | 69.9% | 96.3% | 5.3% |
| Old Mountain View | 2.18 | 33.9 | 8.7% | 73.6% | 7.7% | 1980 | $3,057 | 79.2% | 95.5% | 4.7% |
| Whisman Station | 2.68 | 33.5 | 4.0% | 60.7% | 8.9% | 1996 | $3,317 | 78.8% | 98.1% | 2.3% |
| Birdland Neighbors | 2.89 | 40.1 | 2.4% | 32.6% | 5.5% | 1965 | $3,423 | 82.0% | 97.7% | 2.4% |
| Ponderosa Park | 2.59 | 37.0 | 9.6% | 55.4% | 7.5% | 1976 | $2,921 | 65.3% | 90.9% | 6.2% |
| Rancho Rinconada | 2.77 | 43.8 | 4.6% | 37.4% | 5.2% | 1970 | $3,452 | 79.6% | 95.4% | 3.7% |
| Lowlanders | 2.76 | 34.3 | 8.1% | 63.0% | 3.2% | 1980 | $2,565 | 53.5% | 84.2% | 5.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Arlingwood, Jacksonville, FL · Bouldin, Austin, TX · Brookland, Washington, DC · Brookside, Tulsa, OK · Cal-Gisler, Oxnard, CA · Coronado, Kansas City, KS · Corbett, Tucson, AZ · Salt Springs, Syracuse, NY · North Redmond, Redmond, WA · Park Crossing, Charlotte, NC
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 South Los Altos. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.