Area guide

Palo Alto

Stanford, top public schools, walkable downtown

Price per sqft

~$1,800 (2023; no 2026 median found)

Population

~68,600 city | ~2.7M Silicon Valley

Crime scale

Low for United States

~2,400 property crimes per 100,000 (relo estimate), Palo Alto

Overview

Palo Alto is the centre of gravity of Silicon Valley: Stanford, the founding companies and the venture firms are all here. It combines walkable downtowns with one of the strongest public school districts in California. Old Palo Alto and Crescent Park are the prime family streets.

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Structured fit signals used in matching, same fields across every area.

School fit
5/5
Palo Alto Unified: Gunn High and Palo Alto High are among the strongest public schools in the state.
Tax position
1/5
California income tax up to 13.3% with no capital gains relief; Proposition 13 resets property tax to the purchase price.
Commute
5/5
Caltrain to San Francisco; SFO about 25 to 30 minutes and SJC about 20 minutes via US-101.
Family network density
5/5
Academics, founders and engineers; highly international, with large Chinese, Indian and European communities.
Inventory in price band
1/5
Single-family on modest lots at very high prices; many buyers knock down and rebuild.

Best for

· Families wanting top public schools
· Founders tied to Stanford and the venture community
· Households wanting walkable downtowns

Key neighborhoods

· Old Palo Alto, large period homes near downtown
· Crescent Park, prime streets by the creek
· Professorville, historic homes near University Avenue

Commute and access

Caltrain to San Francisco; SFO about 25 to 30 minutes and SJC about 20 minutes via US-101.

Housing profile

Single-family on modest lots at very high prices; many buyers knock down and rebuild. Proposition 13 property tax resets on purchase.

Key tradeoffs

· Very high price for lot size
· Competitive school-driven bidding
· Ageing housing stock

Demographics

Academics, founders and engineers; highly international, with large Chinese, Indian and European communities.

Schools overview

Palo Alto Unified: Gunn High and Palo Alto High are among the strongest public schools in the state. Private options include Castilleja School (girls) and Keys School.

Restaurants & bars

Where we would take you in your first month in Palo Alto. A handful of places locals return to, picked by relo for a family dinner, a celebration or meeting new neighbours, so you can skip the trial and error and feel at home sooner.

Protégé
Restaurant · California Avenue
Michelin-starred and booked weeks out, so plan ahead.
Ettan
Restaurant · Downtown Palo Alto
Modern Indian, the more accessible of the town's smart rooms.
Evvia Estiatorio
Restaurant · Emerson Street
Greek taverna and Palo Alto's power restaurant since 1995.
Reposado
Restaurant · Downtown Palo Alto
Sit-down Mexican, a good evening out.