Jobs, pay and daily life in East Palo Alto, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
East Palo Alto is a city in California with 29,069 residents. The median household earns $113,493 a year and the median rent is $2,244 a month, which is 23.7% of the median household income. It is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 2,373,920 jobs.
How East Palo Alto compares. Among the 145 places in California, East Palo Alto is #138 by population, #19 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #112 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #102 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, San Mateo County, is #2 of 58 counties for average pay ($196,441).
East Palo Alto has 29,069 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.1% of the population of California. It covers 3 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 11,499 people per square mile. The median age is 36.3, 4% younger than the state median (36.3 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $2,244 a month (rent plus utilities), 10% above the state median ($2,244 against $2,036). Over a year that is 23.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $1,102,600, which is 9.7 times the median household income ($113,493); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 49.1% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (49.1% against 55.9%).
The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area has 2,373,920 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $74,260 a year, 46% above the national median ($74,260 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (226,320 jobs, median $62,120); management (223,100 jobs, median $176,340); business and financial operations (207,030 jobs, median $112,960). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (1.9 times) and life, physical, and social science (1.8 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($176,340) and computer and mathematical ($167,770). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of San Mateo County was 3.9%. 70.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in San Mateo County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 64.2% drive alone, 1.9% use public transit, 1.7% walk, 14.5% work from home. 9.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 50% below the state average (9.7% against 19.4%).
26.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28% below the state share (26.9% against 37.1%). 44.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 63% above the state share (44.1% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 10.3%, 14% below the state rate (10.3% against 12.0%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 68°F (19.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 47°F (8.3°C). About 510 mm (20 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (114 mm) and Jul the driest (0 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Menlo Park (1 miles, rent 44% higher); Atherton (4 miles, rent 56% higher); Palo Alto (5 miles, rent 55% higher); Redwood City (6 miles, rent 32% higher). Rent differences are against East Palo Alto; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in California (1,717) →State guide: CaliforniaCountry guideSan Mateo CountyCalifornia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,717 federal postings open in California (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in California →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 119,120 | 1.81 | $35,950 | $35,950 | $44,820 | +0% |
| Software Developers | 69,030 | 2.68 | $186,640 | $128,090 | $273,400 | +37% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 49,970 | 0.85 | $43,870 | $36,460 | $55,210 | +41% |
| General and Operations Managers | 43,520 | 0.81 | $149,990 | $70,960 | $330,110 | +42% |
| Registered Nurses | 41,750 | 0.81 | $186,610 | $119,290 | $223,770 | +91% |
| Retail Salespersons | 39,460 | 0.66 | $43,850 | $38,270 | $58,960 | +24% |
| Cashiers | 38,250 | 0.81 | $41,270 | $36,750 | $53,920 | +26% |
| Office Clerks, General | 37,590 | 1.00 | $52,000 | $39,880 | $79,740 | +16% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 30,710 | 0.68 | $48,400 | $40,620 | $64,900 | +20% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 29,980 | 1.56 | $96,960 | $50,830 | $191,380 | +39% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 29,930 | 0.89 | $44,180 | $38,260 | $64,760 | +20% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 29,080 | 0.84 | $38,860 | $35,780 | $74,900 | +10% |
| Security Guards | 26,830 | 1.37 | $45,730 | $40,340 | $62,470 | +20% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 26,610 | 0.62 | $45,130 | $37,990 | $58,370 | +21% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 25,170 | 1.14 | $110,730 | $73,420 | $180,060 | +32% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 24,120 | 1.76 | $123,250 | $60,680 | $211,140 | +56% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 23,830 | 2.33 | $232,890 | $155,660 | $335,770 | +33% |
| Management Analysts | 23,560 | 1.72 | $126,730 | $64,080 | $211,790 | +24% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 23,400 | 1.41 | $104,500 | $51,650 | $209,430 | +26% |
| Managers, All Other | 21,550 | 2.27 | $210,080 | $117,140 | $313,430 | +48% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 2,900 | 1.83 | $374,680 | $187,960 | $598,960 | +61% |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 4,340 | 1.28 | $357,220 | $101,160 | $357,220 | +233% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,170 | 1.32 | $304,560 | $98,220 | $534,110 | +25% |
| Physicians, All Other | 3,530 | 0.67 | $294,360 | $91,720 | $425,070 | +11% |
| Chief Executives | 5,190 | 1.66 | $288,690 | $100,340 | $558,310 | +35% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 23,830 | 2.33 | $232,890 | $155,660 | $335,770 | +33% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 5,530 | 3.33 | $225,230 | $158,270 | $338,660 | +35% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5,000 | 1.49 | $221,580 | $165,160 | $320,120 | +29% |
| Marketing Managers | 11,170 | 1.85 | $220,480 | $133,990 | $333,430 | +32% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 3,110 | 0.63 | $219,080 | $153,280 | $273,960 | +66% |
| Financial Managers | 17,040 | 1.33 | $216,150 | $123,280 | $356,070 | +30% |
| Lawyers | 18,470 | 1.60 | $212,500 | $98,280 | $375,580 | +33% |
| Managers, All Other | 21,550 | 2.27 | $210,080 | $117,140 | $313,430 | +48% |
| Human Resources Managers | 4,960 | 1.47 | $209,340 | $123,950 | $323,850 | +40% |
| Veterinarians | 1,350 | 1.05 | $208,080 | $89,130 | $295,420 | +60% |
| Pediatricians, General | 810 | 1.35 | $207,450 | $102,600 | $447,610 | -1% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 2,810 | 2.40 | $203,890 | $130,800 | $284,580 | +26% |
| Dentists, General | 2,090 | 1.10 | $202,060 | $119,750 | $322,930 | +18% |
| Public Relations Managers | 1,880 | 1.65 | $192,720 | $110,370 | $312,430 | +31% |
| Aerospace Engineers | 510 | 0.49 | $191,260 | $117,060 | $273,230 | +42% |
These figures are for the whole San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $74,260 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 18.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 18.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.0% |
| Retail trade | 10.8% |
| Other services | 8.4% |
| Construction | 7.7% |
| Manufacturing | 6.3% |
| Information | 3.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.1% |
| Public administration | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where East Palo Alto lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County | 742,340 | $217,018 million | $292,343 | 416,422 | 31,186 | $196,441 | -1.0% | 3.9% | 410,701 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 71,055 | 18.4% | $269,835 | 2.45 |
| Health care and social assistance | 47,203 | 12.2% | $92,649 | 0.79 |
| Information | 43,524 | 11.3% | $669,097 | 5.58 |
| Accommodation and food services | 36,653 | 9.5% | $44,003 | 0.97 |
| Retail trade | 29,358 | 7.6% | $57,015 | 0.71 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 23,390 | 6.1% | $87,011 | 1.33 |
| Administrative and waste services | 21,577 | 5.6% | $91,507 | 0.88 |
| Manufacturing | 20,595 | 5.3% | $186,707 | 0.60 |
| Construction | 16,352 | 4.2% | $105,426 | 0.75 |
| Finance and insurance | 16,044 | 4.2% | $393,046 | 0.95 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 14,094 | 3.7% | $68,741 | 1.12 |
| Wholesale trade | 14,013 | 3.6% | $169,055 | 0.85 |
| Educational services | 11,860 | 3.1% | $82,244 | 1.38 |
| Real estate and rental | 6,582 | 1.7% | $93,741 | 1.02 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 6,197 | 1.6% | $44,307 | 0.89 |
| Management of companies | 4,912 | 1.3% | $246,931 | 0.70 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 1,324 | 0.3% | $62,882 | 0.39 |
| Utilities | 975 | 0.3% | $202,336 | 0.62 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 64 | 0.0% | $200,207 | 0.04 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 64.2% |
| Public transit | 1.9% |
| Walk | 1.7% |
| Work from home | 14.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $113,493 |
| Income per person | $42,301 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,244 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.7% |
| Median home value | $1,102,600 |
| Homeowners | 49.1% |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 115.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $74,260 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 13.30%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 75.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 26.9% |
| Born abroad | 44.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 70.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.3 | 47 | 88 |
| Feb | 9.2 | 49 | 91 |
| Mar | 10.7 | 51 | 77 |
| Apr | 11.9 | 53 | 40 |
| May | 14.5 | 58 | 14 |
| Jun | 17.6 | 64 | 4 |
| Jul | 19.6 | 67 | 0 |
| Aug | 19.8 | 68 | 1 |
| Sep | 19.4 | 67 | 3 |
| Oct | 16.3 | 61 | 25 |
| Nov | 11.7 | 53 | 53 |
| Dec | 8.4 | 47 | 114 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo Park | CA | 1 mi | 32,727 | $210,025 | $3,239 |
| Atherton | CA | 4 mi | 6,993 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| Palo Alto | CA | 5 mi | 67,237 | $231,101 | $3,484 |
| Redwood City | CA | 6 mi | 82,447 | $157,814 | $2,968 |
| Mountain View | CA | 6 mi | 83,732 | $189,917 | $3,062 |
| Newark | CA | 6 mi | 46,903 | $169,064 | $2,776 |
| Los Altos Hills | CA | 7 mi | 8,377 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| Los Altos | CA | 7 mi | 30,698 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| San Carlos | CA | 8 mi | 29,614 | $237,470 | $2,854 |
| Sunnyvale | CA | 8 mi | 154,236 | $186,170 | $3,039 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
29,069 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,244 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.7% of the median household income.
$113,493 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.9% (BLS county, San Mateo County (latest month 2026M09)).
California. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.