The Town FilesLos Altos, California
City in Santa Clara County · population 31,625 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $2,000,001
- Household income
- $250,001
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 45.9
Los Altos is a city of 31,625 people in Santa Clara County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more upscale than 100% of California towns, better for cycling than 96% of California towns, better for families than 95% of California towns.
How Los Altos ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Los Altos is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.0 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 28% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 81.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Los Altos | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 81.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.2% | — |
Who lives in Los Altos
| People | Los Altos | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.8% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 24.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 88.1% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 35.5% | — |
| Work from home | 39.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Los Altos
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 42.4°F. About 13.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Los Altos since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 5, 1998 about 3.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 5, 1998.
Severe weather in Santa Clara County since 1996
Santa Clara County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| August 22, 2020 | Fire | DR-4558: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County had 1,116,581 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $197,043 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Los Altos itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Los Altos
11 public schools with 6,263 students, about 18.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos High | 9-12 | 2,114 | 18.7 |
| Bullis Charter (charter) | K-8 | 1,025 | 14.9 |
| Ardis G. Egan Junior High | 7-8 | 496 | 19.1 |
| Covington Elementary | K-6 | 407 | 19.4 |
| Montclaire Elementary | K-5 | 406 | 22.6 |
| Georgina P. Blach Junior High | 7-8 | 404 | 17.6 |
| Santa Rita Elementary | K-6 | 367 | 19.3 |
| Almond Elementary | K-6 | 365 | 20.3 |
| Loyola Elementary | K-6 | 351 | 19.5 |
| Oak Avenue Elementary | K-6 | 328 | 20.5 |
| LASD Preschool | Other | — | — |
Towns near Los Altos
- Loyola, CA1.3 mi · 3,491 people · home $2,000,001
- Los Altos Hills, CA2.3 mi · 8,489 people · home $2,000,001
- Mountain View, CA2.4 mi · 82,376 people · home $1,927,000
- Palo Alto, CA3.2 mi · 68,572 people · home $2,000,001
- Sunnyvale, CA4.0 mi · 155,805 people · home $1,801,800
- Cupertino, CA4.4 mi · 60,381 people · home $2,000,001
- Stanford, CA5.6 mi · 21,150 people · home $2,000,001
- Santa Clara, CA7.1 mi · 127,647 people · home $1,582,600
Los Altos questions
Is Los Altos, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Los Altos scores better for retirees than 67% of California towns and quieter than 33%. 20.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.9).
How much does a house cost in Los Altos?
The median owner-occupied home in Los Altos is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 8.0 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Los Altos?
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 42.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Los Altos get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Los Altos since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 5, 1998. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)