Palo Alto, CA · standard
ZIP Code 94304
Santa Clara County, California — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,627
- 215/sq mi
- $154,141
- Median income
- $2,000,001
- Median home value
- 82.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Palo Alto pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, renter-heavy area.
- Top 3%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 1%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 215
- people per sq mi
- 23%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 94304 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 94304 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 16.8 square miles in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California. The area is home to 3,627 residents, producing a population density of 215 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 94304 against California and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 94304 sits at $154,141 (52% above the California average), while per-capita income is $114,617. The poverty rate stands at 6.9% and the unemployment rate at 3.7%. On housing, the median home value is $2,000,001 (159% above the state average) with median rent at $3,501 per month, and 23.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 94304 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 82.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.6, and the average commute is 19 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Santa Clara County, so you can benchmark 94304 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 94304
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 94304.
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
114 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
93 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
51 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 39
Health care and social assistance
39 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 38
Accommodation and food services
38 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 94304, 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
3,627
Population
16.8
Area (sq mi)
215
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 94304?
38.6
Median Age
45.4%
Male
54.6%
Female
42.4%
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?
$154,141
Median Household Income
+52% vs state
$114,617
Per Capita Income
6.9%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
19.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 94304 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$154,141 Top 3% higher than 97% 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?
2,560
Total Housing Units
2,218
Occupied Units
342
Vacant Units
2.15
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$2,000,001
Median Home Value
+159% vs state
$3,501
Median Rent
1996
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 483 business establishments in ZIP 94304, employing approximately 56,576 people with a combined annual payroll of $14,548,975,000.
483
Businesses
56,576
Employees
$14.5B
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 114 | 23.6% |
| Retail trade | 93 | 19.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 51 | 10.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | 39 | 8.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 38 | 7.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 29 | 6.0% |
| Information | 28 | 5.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 20 | 4.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 16 | 3.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 15 | 3.1% |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 2.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 9 | 1.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 6 | 1.2% |
| Construction | 5 | 1.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 0.8% |
| Educational services | 4 | 0.8% |
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 94304 vs 94305 →
ZIP 94304 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 94025
Menlo Park (94025)
40,526 residents
- 94040
Mountain View (94040)
32,996 residents
- 94306
Palo Alto (94306)
26,469 residents
- 94024
Los Altos (94024)
22,385 residents
- 94022
Los Altos (94022)
18,500 residents
- 94301
Palo Alto (94301)
16,995 residents
- 94305 13,862
Stanford (94305)
13,862 residents
- 94041 13,292
Mountain View (94041)
13,292 residents
- 94027 7,089
Atherton (94027)
7,089 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 94304 ranks #0 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 94304 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
- 94024
Los Altos (94024)
$250,001 median income
- 94027
Atherton (94027)
$250,001 median income
- 94028
Portola Valley (94028)
$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
- 94040
Mountain View (94040)
$187,781 median income
- 94041
Mountain View (94041)
$178,558 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 94304 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94305 | Stanford, CA | 13,862 | 2.4 mi |
| 94028 | Portola Valley, CA | 6,534 | 2.3 mi |
| 94022 | Los Altos, CA | 18,500 | 2.3 mi |
| 94306 | Palo Alto, CA | 26,469 | 3.3 mi |
| 94025 | Menlo Park, CA | 40,526 | 5.6 mi |
| 94301 | Palo Alto, CA | 16,995 | 4.5 mi |
| 94040 | Mountain View, CA | 32,996 | 4.9 mi |
| 94027 | Atherton, CA | 7,089 | 5.2 mi |
| 94041 | Mountain View, CA | 13,292 | 5.4 mi |
| 94024 | Los Altos, CA | 22,385 | 4.8 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Santa Clara County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the population of ZIP code 94304? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 94304? ▼
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What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 94304? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 94304? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 94304? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 94304? ▼
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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.