Palo Alto, CA Income

The inflation-adjusted median household income in Palo Alto was $210,542, based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates.
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Updated Dec 15, 2023
Overview
$210,542
Median household income
0.5283
Gini coefficient
** (N/A)
Highest median income age group
$1,350,675
Income of top 5%

All incomes in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars using R-CPI-U-RS. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Gender

In Palo Alto, the population consists of 33,224 males (48.41%) and 35,400 females (51.59%). Here are the primary highlights from the gender-based income distribution analysis:

  • In Palo Alto, the median income for all workers aged 15 years and older, regardless of work hours, was $119,297 for males and $65,186 for females.
  • However, when specifically considering full-time, year-round workers within the same age group, the median income was $207,974 for males and $117,022 for females.
  • In Palo Alto, the median income for all workers aged 15 years and older, regardless of work hours, was $119,297 for males and $65,186 for females.
  • In Palo Alto, among full-time, year-round workers aged 15 years and older, males earned a median income of $207,974, while females earned $117,022, leading to a 44% gender pay gap among full-time workers. This illustrates that women earn 56 cents for each dollar earned by men in full-time roles. This level of income gap emphasizes the urgency to address and rectify this ongoing disparity, where women, despite working full-time, face a more significant wage discrepancy compared to men in the same employment roles.
Line chart showing the annual median income trends in Palo Alto, CA for males and females across four employment categories: (1) Males in full-time year-round positions, (2) Males in non-full-time roles (part-time and other employment types), (3) Females in full-time year-round positions, and (4) Females in non-full-time roles (part-time and other employment types).
Palo Alto, CA gender based income disparity: Gain insights into gender-based pay disparity trends and explore the variations in income for male and female individuals, in 2022 inflation adjusted dollars. Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates

Read more about Palo Alto, CA income by gender ➔

Race

In Palo Alto, the population is predominantly White, constituting 52.54% of the total residents. Here are the key highlights from the analysis of income distribution by race:

  • The median household income for White households is $173,510.
  • In Palo Alto, despite the White population being the most populous, it is worth noting that Asian households actually reports the highest median household income, with a median income of $217,378. This reveals that, while Whites may be the most numerous in Palo Alto, Asian households experience greater economic prosperity in terms of median household income.
  • In Palo Alto, the median household income for the households where the householder is White increased by $27,160(18.56%), between 2012 and 2022. The median household income, in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars, was $146,350 in 2012 and $173,510 in 2022.
  • In Palo Alto, the median household income for Black or African American households was $148,813 in 2012(2022 inflation-adjusted dollars). However there is no reported data for 2022, indicating a lack of information for this specific year.
The bar chart shows Palo Alto, CA median household income across all racial categories identified by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Palo Alto, CA median household income diversity across racial categories: Gain insights into economic disparities and trends and explore the variations in median houshold income for diverse racial categories. Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates

Read more about Palo Alto, CA median household income by race ➔

Year by year

Palo Alto, CA median household income trends by year, family type and household size (2010-2021):

  • From 2010 to 2021, the median household income for Palo Alto increased by $47,724 (29.31%), as per the American Community Survey estimates.
  • Between 2010 and 2021, median household income, adjusted for 2022 inflation, experienced growth year by year for 6 years and declined for 5 years.
  • The most significant year-by-year growth occured from 2019 to 2020, when the median household income increased by 15,441 (from $181,729 to $197,170). Similarly the most substantial year-by-year decline occured from 2012 to 2013, when the median household income decreased by 3,622 (from $156,874 to $153,252).
  • It then further decreased to -666,666,666 for 7-person households, the largest household size for which the bureau reported a median household income.
  • With a Gini coefficient of 0.5283, it is evident that income distribution in Palo Alto, CA exihibits characterstics of moderate inequality .
  • For the family households, the median income (in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars) was $250,001. For the non-family households, the median income (in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars) was $80,437.
The line chart shows Palo Alto, CA median household income from 2010 to 2021. The orange line represents Census Bureau data for median household income (without adjusting for any inflation), while the blue line shows inflation-adjusted median household income for 2022.
Palo Alto, CA median household income trends: 2010 to 2021. The chart illustrates income fluctuations over the years, highlighting the impact of inflation on economic trends. Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates

Read more about Palo Alto, CA median household income ➔

References

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Palo Alto, CA Demographics

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Median household income of places that contain Palo Alto (in 2022 dollars)
Median household income of nearby cities (in 2022 dollars)

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Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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