Often called the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley,” Palo Alto is a leading city in the global technology, education and engineering industries. Notable tech and research companies headquartered here include Hewlett-Packard, Tesla and Flipboard, Inc., and East Palo Alto borders the sprawling headquarters of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, near the San Francisco Bay. Lori Orion, a local Realtor with Orion Partners at Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, says that people aspire to live here: “Palo Alto is like the Paris of Silicon Valley – you want to go to Paris, you don’t want to go to the city outside of Paris.” Orion also notes that people are moving to the city not only for its jobs and perpetually sunny skies but also for Stanford University, a world-renowned higher education institution that draws thousands of faculty, students and staff members to the area. However, Palo Alto’s limited housing stock and consistent demand have led to one of the highest costs per square footage in the United States. “There’s always sticker shock for homebuyers who move here from other places,” Orion says.
If you are looking for an easy commute to work, Downtown North is the best place to live.
Green lawns with stripes of sidewalks running through them at Charleston Park.
Tesla is one of the big technology companies in Palo Alto.
Siegel Field at Stanford University in University South is green with red and white accents.
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High housing costs for small homes
Palo Alto homes encompass a wide range of styles, sizes and build years that create an eclectic residential mural. Single-family homes in Palo Alto range from approximately $2 million to $7 million, with the median home price hovering around $3.7 million. “The lots in Palo Alto are not very large – I would say the average lot for a single-family home is about 5,000 square feet,” Orion says. “However, there are some neighborhoods where you have larger lots over 10,000 square feet, and those are the extremely expensive areas where you find all the mansions.” One of the challenges of building more housing in Palo Alto is the lack of available land coupled with residents’ opposition to new developments: “In Palo Alto, as well as many other neighboring cities, there’s a lot of the ‘not in my backyard’ mentality going on,” Orion says. Rising housing costs have driven some locals to find alternate living solutions. “It’s a very interesting time for housing in the Bay Area – on any street that’s wide enough to park an RV, you’ll see people’s RVs are parked there,” Orion says.
Stanford University also owns a large pocket of land around surrounding its main academic campus, full of single-family homes that the university has allocated can only be owned by Stanford-affiliated faculty and staff. These single-family properties typically list on the market between $2.5 million and $3 million, but the university offers price reduction plans for qualified faculty and staff members.
Mediterranean-inspired homes can be seen throughout the Barron Park neighborhood.
Townhouse living can be found in parts of Charleston Meadows.
Slanted roofs, triangular windows and redwood siding are all staples of the neighborhood homes.
Traditional builds are also available in Charleston Meadows.
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Palo Alto Unified is an award-winning, nationally recognized school district
More than 10,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade are served by the Palo Alto Unified School District, which receives an overall A-plus rating from Niche and was ranked by Niche as the best school district in California for 2025. “Palo Alto is really known for their great public school system,” Orion says. The district was also named No. 8 on Niche’s “Best School Districts in America” 2025 list. Palo Alto Unified has 12 elementary schools, three middle schools and two comprehensive high schools; Henry M. Gunn High and Palo Alto High School both receive A-plus ratings for their athletic and academic programs. Part of the district’s success is attributed to its proximity to Stanford University, one of the world’s top higher education institutions.
Stanford University is a private research university with a sprawling 8,810-acre campus bordering Palo Alto. “Even though most of the student body lives on Stanford’s campus, they’d probably tell people who aren’t from the area that they live in Palo Alto,” says Caroline Reinhart, a recent alum of the university’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Stanford and Palo Alto are intertwined communities with shared public services, shopping centers and recreational amenities for all city and university residents.
Addison Elementary School in downtown Palo Alto excels in learning.
Greene Middle School in Palo Alto fosters academic excellence throughout the programs.
Palo Alto High School has a lot of after school programs to help your kids in school.
Stanford University is one of the most elite schools you can go to in America.
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Dozens of city parks and nearby hiking trails
Thirty-six parks, five community centers and 41 miles of trailways for walking and biking are overseen and maintained by the city of Palo Alto. Residents can also explore more than 4,000 acres of open space at the Baylands and Foothills nature preserves. Orion says that locals can find miles of hiking and equestrian trails just west of Palo Alto in Portola Valley and Woodside, two recreation areas nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The coastal city of Santa Cruz and its sandy beaches are a 42-mile trip south, while the snowy ski resorts of Lake Tahoe are a 4-hour drive east. With a Mediterranean-like climate, residents can enjoy outdoor recreation all year round.
Kids love the Clubhouse at Mitchell Park.
Village Green Dog Park is the perfect place to enjoy time with your dog.
Enjoy a meal at the picnic tables at Del Medio Park.
Lake Tahoe is a 4 hour drive from Palo Alto.
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Exploring downtown Palo Alto
Downtown Palo Alto encompasses University Avenue directly across from Stanford University’s main academic campus. Despite Silicon Valley’s bustling urban landscape, downtown Palo Alto maintains a small-town atmosphere with pedestrian-friendly blocks lined with small oak trees, eclectic storefronts and outdoor seating at local restaurants. Outside of downtown Palo Alto, many of the city’s popular dining options can be found along California Avenue. Opposite downtown across Route 82 is the Stanford Shopping Center, a massive indoor mall home to dozens of national retailers, department stores and chain eateries.
Many of the city’s sporting events, concerts and other festivities are hosted on Stanford University-owned land at campus venues like the Stanford Stadium, Bing Concert Hall, Stanford Maples Pavilion and the Frost Amphitheater. Stanford’s campus also has several museums, including the Cantor Arts Center and the adjacent Rodin Sculpture Garden. In the Old Palo Alto neighborhood off Embarcadero Road is the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, as well as the next-door Palo Alto Art Center and Rinconada Library.
Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo is a favorite of Community Center children.
The Stanford Shopping Mall is a great place for retail therapy in Palo Alto.
Rinconada Pool is a public outdoor pool in Community Center.
Stanford is one of the best colleges to go to in the United States of America.
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Getting around Silicon Valley
Two main thoroughfares run through Palo Alto: U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 82. Both are major Silicon Valley arteries stretching between San Francisco, 33 miles north, and San Jose, 17 miles south. Bus services are operated by both Stanford’s public transit system and the Valley Transportation Authority. “The big public transit system that people do use is the Caltrain,” Reinhart says. “There are two Caltrain stations in Palo Alto – there’s the main one in downtown and there’s the California Avenue station.” To catch a flight, the San Jose Mineta International Airport is 14 miles away and offers dozens of direct flights to major cities.
Crime in Palo Alto
Between 2020 and 2021, the Palo Alto Police Department reported a nearly 15% decrease in total reported crimes, going from 2,030 reported crimes in 2020 to 1,738 reported crimes in 2021. The vast majority of reported crimes both years were property-related crimes, specifically larceny and theft. Palo Alto has lower rates of violent crime compared to state-level and national figures, but slightly higher rates of property crime compared to California and the U.S.
Anne graduated with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford, where she was also a member of the (NCAA Division I) women’s gymnastics team. Being a “people” person, instead of going the typical career route of an engineering grad, she worked in marketing and sales for AMD, a semiconductor company, for over 10 years. She then transitioned into real estate sales, where for the last 25+ years she has set herself apart from other real estate agents by offering a unique value proposition to my clients: being both tactical and analytical, offering the highest level of fiduciary service to clients, and thinking “outside of the box” in challenging situations. In short, she works relentlessly on clients’ behalf to help make their real estate dreams a reality.
Anne keeps clients informed about the current market, and she has the industry relationships and negotiating skills to give clients the competitive edge in this often highly competitive market. She works with sellers, buyers, and investors, and over a 25+ year career has sold all over the Bay Area. Keller Williams is not only the largest brokerage in the Palo Alto area, but it is also the largest real estate and training company in the world, ranking #1 in the nation in agent count, unit count, and gross volume. This allows her access to a significant number of off-market listings, which can be especially beneficial in times of limited inventory. She is proud to be your go-to source for real estate industry insight and advice. Anne looks forward to meeting you to discuss how she can best assist you with your real estate goals.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
