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 High-density area
- $154,141
- Median income Above-median income area
- $2,000,000+
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 82.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 covers 16.8 square miles in Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,627 residents on file, a density of 215 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 94304 skews affluent, with a median household income of $154,141 (52% above the average California ZIP), while per-capita income is $114,617. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.9% and unemployment is 3.7%. Housing costs run above the statewide ZIP benchmark while renting is common: median home value is $2,000,000+ (159% above the average California ZIP), with only 23.2% owner-occupied homes and median rent of $3,501.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 82.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.6, and the average commute is 19 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Santa Clara County, so 94304 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 94304
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Palo Alto, CA
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, 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; 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 ZIP avg
$114,617
Per Capita Income
6.9%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
19.0 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 94304 ranks among California ZIPs
Palo Alto, CA household income vs. every California ZIP code
Median household income among 1,583 reporting California ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$154,141 Top 11% higher than 89% of 1,583 California ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more California 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
2,560housing units
2,560
Total Housing Units
2,218
Occupied Units
342
Vacant Units
2.15
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$2,000,000+
Median Home Value
+159% vs state ZIP avg
$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)
$250,000 median income
- 94024
Los Altos (94024)
$250,000 median income
- 94027
Atherton (94027)
$250,000 median income
- 94028
Portola Valley (94028)
$250,000 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 |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 94304, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (3,627 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Santa Clara County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 94304 in?
ZIP code 94304 (Palo Alto) is located in Santa Clara County, California. Santa Clara County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/santa-clara-ca.
What is the population of ZIP code 94304?
ZIP code 94304 in Palo Alto, CA has a population of 3,627 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 94304?
The median household income in ZIP 94304 is $154,141, which is 102% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 94304?
The median home value in ZIP 94304 is $2,000,000+, which is 619% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 94304?
The largest racial group in ZIP 94304 is White at 51.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 12.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 94304?
ZIP code 94304 has 483 business establishments employing approximately 56,576 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 94304?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 94304 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (114), Retail trade (93), Finance and insurance (51). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 94304?
In ZIP code 94304, 89.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 82.2% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 94304?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 94304 is 19.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 94304?
In ZIP code 94304, approximately 23.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 76.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 94304?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 94304 is 6.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 94304's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 94304 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Palo Alto, CA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.