Palo Alto, CA · standard
ZIP Code 94303
San Mateo County, California — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 45,467
- 2,204/sq mi
- $151,609
- Median income
- $1,826,200
- Median home value
- 49.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Palo Alto pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 4%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 1%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2,204
- people per sq mi
- 58%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 94303 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 94303 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 20.6 square miles in Palo Alto, San Mateo County, California. The area is home to 45,467 residents, producing a population density of 2,204 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 94303 against California and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 94303 sits at $151,609 (49% above the California average), while per-capita income is $72,225. The poverty rate stands at 7.1% and the unemployment rate at 6.0%. On housing, the median home value is $1,826,200 (136% above the state average) with median rent at $2,771 per month, and 57.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 94303 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 49.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.5, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing San Mateo County, so you can benchmark 94303 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 94303
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 94303.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
248 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
100 establishments
- Construction 94
Construction
94 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 73
Real estate and rental and leasing
73 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 67
Other services (except public administration)
67 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 94303, Palo Alto, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
45,467
Population
20.6
Area (sq mi)
2,204
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 94303?
39.5
Median Age
49.5%
Male
50.5%
Female
43.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$151,609
Median Household Income
+49% vs state
$72,225
Per Capita Income
7.1%
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Unemployment Rate
23.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 94303 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$151,609 Top 4% higher than 96% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
15,891
Total Housing Units
14,466
Occupied Units
1,425
Vacant Units
3.22
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$1,826,200
Median Home Value
+136% vs state
$2,771
Median Rent
1960
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+9.8%
YoY Change (2024)
300
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+200%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 94303 have increased 9.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +200% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -10.6% | 219 |
| 2021 | +4.8% | 229 |
| 2022 | +14.7% | 263 |
| 2023 | +4.0% | 273 |
| 2024 | +9.8% | 300 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 989 business establishments in ZIP 94303, employing approximately 17,648 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,677,210,000.
989
Businesses
17,648
Employees
$2.7B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 248 | 25.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 100 | 10.1% |
| Construction | 94 | 9.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 73 | 7.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 67 | 6.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 65 | 6.6% |
| Educational services | 54 | 5.5% |
| Retail trade | 51 | 5.2% |
| Information | 51 | 5.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 48 | 4.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 41 | 4.2% |
| Manufacturing | 23 | 2.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 23 | 2.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 22 | 2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 19 | 1.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5 | 0.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 94303 vs 94301 →
ZIP 94303 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 94303
Palo Alto (94303)
45,467 residents
- 94025
Menlo Park (94025)
40,526 residents
- 94040
Mountain View (94040)
32,996 residents
- 94043
Mountain View (94043)
28,358 residents
- 94306
Palo Alto (94306)
26,469 residents
- 94022
Los Altos (94022)
18,500 residents
- 94301 16,995
Palo Alto (94301)
16,995 residents
- 94305 13,862
Stanford (94305)
13,862 residents
- 94041 13,292
Mountain View (94041)
13,292 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 94303 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 94303 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 94022
Los Altos (94022)
$250,001 median income
- 94027
Atherton (94027)
$250,001 median income
- 94301
Palo Alto (94301)
$242,006 median income
- 94025
Menlo Park (94025)
$216,601 median income
- 94306
Palo Alto (94306)
$210,000 median income
- 94043
Mountain View (94043)
$203,298 median income
- 94040
Mountain View (94040)
$187,781 median income
- 94041
Mountain View (94041)
$178,558 median income
- 94303
Palo Alto (94303)
$151,609 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 94303 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94301 | Palo Alto, CA | 16,995 | 1.7 mi |
| 94306 | Palo Alto, CA | 26,469 | 2.5 mi |
| 94025 | Menlo Park, CA | 40,526 | 3.1 mi |
| 94043 | Mountain View, CA | 28,358 | 3.5 mi |
| 94305 | Stanford, CA | 13,862 | 3.7 mi |
| 94027 | Atherton, CA | 7,089 | 4.7 mi |
| 94040 | Mountain View, CA | 32,996 | 5.2 mi |
| 94041 | Mountain View, CA | 13,292 | 4.9 mi |
| 94022 | Los Altos, CA | 18,500 | 6.6 mi |
| 95002 | Alviso, CA | 2,077 | 6.3 mi |
More ZIP Codes in San Mateo County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 94303 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 94303? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 94303? ▼
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 94303? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 94303? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 94303? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 94303? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 94303? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 94303? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 94303? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Palo Alto, CA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.