Jobs, pay and daily life in Los Altos Hills, 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.
Los Altos Hills is a city in California with 8,377 residents. The median household earns $250,001 a year and the median rent is $3,501 a month, which is 16.8% of the median household income. It is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,134,970 jobs.
How Los Altos Hills compares. Among the 145 places in California, Los Altos Hills is #142 by population, #1 for household income (#1 = highest), #1 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #1 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Santa Clara County, is #1 of 58 counties for average pay ($197,043).
Los Altos Hills has 8,377 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.0% of the population of California. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 924 people per square mile. The median age is 53.6, 41% older than the state median (53.6 against 37.9).
The median gross rent is $3,501 a month (rent plus utilities), 72% above the state median ($3,501 against $2,036). Over a year that is 16.8% 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 above $2 million (the ACS reports $2,000,001 as its highest value, so the true median is higher), which is at least 8.0 times the median household income ($250,001); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 93.4% of households own their home, 67% above the state average (93.4% against 55.9%).
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area has 1,134,970 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $84,050 a year, 65% above the national median ($84,050 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are computer and mathematical (149,970 jobs, median $186,320); management (115,110 jobs, median $210,750); business and financial operations (94,210 jobs, median $125,240). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (3.9 times) and architecture and engineering (2.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($210,750) and legal ($195,190). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Santa Clara County was 4.2%. 51.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Santa Clara County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 48.4% drive alone, 1.3% use public transit, 2.3% walk, 44.3% work from home. 18.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 7% below the state average (18.0% against 19.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
84.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 129% above the state share (84.9% against 37.1%). 34.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 27% above the state share (34.4% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 7.3%, 39% below the state rate (7.3% 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: Palo Alto (2 miles, similar rent); Los Altos (2 miles, similar rent); Mountain View (4 miles, rent 13% lower); Cupertino (6 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Los Altos Hills; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in California (1,717) →State guide: CaliforniaCountry guideSanta Clara 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 87,350 | 7.09 | $213,110 | $138,420 | $289,150 | +57% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 49,610 | 1.58 | $37,640 | $37,600 | $44,870 | +5% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 23,060 | 0.82 | $44,570 | $37,860 | $54,220 | +43% |
| Registered Nurses | 22,930 | 0.93 | $216,740 | $124,140 | $235,190 | +122% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 19,070 | 3.90 | $291,660 | $164,400 | $377,060 | +67% |
| Retail Salespersons | 18,340 | 0.64 | $44,220 | $39,300 | $58,300 | +25% |
| General and Operations Managers | 17,230 | 0.67 | $163,860 | $76,890 | $346,810 | +55% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 16,680 | 5.25 | $184,430 | $98,340 | $290,240 | +58% |
| Cashiers | 16,530 | 0.73 | $42,960 | $38,240 | $57,670 | +31% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 15,780 | 0.98 | $43,870 | $38,520 | $59,780 | +19% |
| Managers, All Other | 13,740 | 3.03 | $217,280 | $136,880 | $335,800 | +53% |
| Office Clerks, General | 13,470 | 0.75 | $58,840 | $41,690 | $83,580 | +31% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 13,390 | 1.46 | $116,510 | $49,500 | $217,680 | +66% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 13,180 | 1.25 | $121,700 | $78,440 | $196,890 | +45% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 12,710 | 1.94 | $141,960 | $66,660 | $251,750 | +80% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 12,600 | 0.76 | $41,920 | $37,340 | $97,730 | +19% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 11,970 | 1.51 | $108,330 | $61,010 | $216,720 | +30% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 11,830 | 0.55 | $47,060 | $39,710 | $66,060 | +17% |
| Security Guards | 11,800 | 1.26 | $46,250 | $43,900 | $66,970 | +22% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 10,610 | 0.51 | $44,970 | $39,120 | $62,820 | +20% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,120 | 1.43 | $351,760 | $83,390 | $372,950 | +44% |
| Lawyers | 6,040 | 1.10 | $301,320 | $129,350 | $421,000 | +89% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 19,070 | 3.90 | $291,660 | $164,400 | $377,060 | +67% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 1,160 | 1.46 | $263,810 | $157,910 | $333,270 | +58% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5,130 | 3.19 | $234,590 | $174,850 | $318,400 | +37% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,580 | 0.67 | $231,560 | $163,670 | $283,410 | +75% |
| Marketing Managers | 7,300 | 2.53 | $231,370 | $143,670 | $350,150 | +39% |
| Training and Development Managers | 880 | 2.52 | $230,020 | $134,060 | $326,940 | +73% |
| Financial Managers | 7,970 | 1.30 | $225,280 | $134,010 | $447,580 | +35% |
| Physician Assistants | 1,030 | 0.87 | $223,640 | $100,240 | $287,420 | +65% |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,800 | 1.74 | $220,460 | $124,990 | $397,910 | +48% |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | 2,210 | 8.14 | $218,420 | $133,270 | $310,190 | +56% |
| Managers, All Other | 13,740 | 3.03 | $217,280 | $136,880 | $335,800 | +53% |
| Registered Nurses | 22,930 | 0.93 | $216,740 | $124,140 | $235,190 | +122% |
| Public Relations Managers | 980 | 1.79 | $213,510 | $137,170 | $338,830 | +45% |
| Software Developers | 87,350 | 7.09 | $213,110 | $138,420 | $289,150 | +57% |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 7,940 | 14.19 | $209,860 | $141,590 | $284,400 | +30% |
| Dentists, General | 1,130 | 1.24 | $207,910 | $124,470 | $294,290 | +22% |
| Sales Managers | 8,940 | 1.92 | $201,780 | $84,330 | $345,980 | +36% |
| Pharmacists | 1,960 | 0.83 | $199,040 | $151,900 | $234,080 | +41% |
These figures are for the whole San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $84,050 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 24.5% |
| Education and health care | 22.0% |
| Manufacturing | 18.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.4% |
| Information | 6.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 6.3% |
| Retail trade | 4.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 3.6% |
| Construction | 2.3% |
| Other services | 2.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 0.7% |
| Public administration | 0.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Los Altos Hills 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County | 1,902,047 | $438,483 million | $230,532 | 1,116,581 | 83,418 | $197,043 | -0.3% | 4.2% | 1,040,676 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 160,179 | 15.7% | $291,081 | 2.06 |
| Health care and social assistance | 151,414 | 14.9% | $86,799 | 0.95 |
| Manufacturing | 122,683 | 12.0% | $316,673 | 1.34 |
| Information | 92,985 | 9.1% | $488,642 | 4.44 |
| Accommodation and food services | 83,084 | 8.1% | $39,219 | 0.82 |
| Retail trade | 70,920 | 7.0% | $60,350 | 0.64 |
| Management of companies | 60,198 | 5.9% | $452,085 | 3.20 |
| Administrative and waste services | 56,739 | 5.6% | $71,743 | 0.86 |
| Construction | 51,277 | 5.0% | $126,637 | 0.87 |
| Educational services | 43,856 | 4.3% | $110,169 | 1.90 |
| Wholesale trade | 27,154 | 2.7% | $181,061 | 0.62 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 26,004 | 2.6% | $58,871 | 0.77 |
| Finance and insurance | 20,630 | 2.0% | $216,816 | 0.46 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 18,007 | 1.8% | $67,864 | 0.96 |
| Real estate and rental | 15,391 | 1.5% | $113,254 | 0.89 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14,081 | 1.4% | $73,494 | 0.30 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 3,033 | 0.3% | $52,122 | 0.34 |
| Utilities | 1,777 | 0.2% | $185,661 | 0.42 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 157 | 0.0% | $104,020 | 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 | 48.4% |
| Public transit | 1.3% |
| Walk | 2.3% |
| Work from home | 44.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 18.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,001 |
| Income per person | $165,337 |
| Median gross rent per month | $3,501 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.8% |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 |
| Homeowners | 93.4% |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 110.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $84,050 |
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 | 53.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 99.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 84.9% |
| Born abroad | 34.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 51.7% |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | CA | 2 mi | 67,237 | $231,101 | $3,484 |
| Los Altos | CA | 2 mi | 30,698 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| Mountain View | CA | 4 mi | 83,732 | $189,917 | $3,062 |
| Cupertino | CA | 6 mi | 58,566 | $234,707 | $3,501 |
| Sunnyvale | CA | 6 mi | 154,236 | $186,170 | $3,039 |
| East Palo Alto | CA | 7 mi | 29,069 | $113,493 | $2,244 |
| Atherton | CA | 7 mi | 6,993 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| Menlo Park | CA | 8 mi | 32,727 | $210,025 | $3,239 |
| Saratoga | CA | 9 mi | 30,319 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| Santa Clara | CA | 9 mi | 130,256 | $178,958 | $3,016 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
8,377 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$3,501 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.8% of the median household income.
$250,001 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.2% (BLS county, Santa Clara County (latest month 2026M09)).
California. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.