San Francisco
Palo Alto (Old Palo Alto)
Tech-family default with the strongest public schools in Northern California.
On the map
Boundary is approximate — refined per neighborhood over time.
Pacific Relocation's take
The Peninsula default for families with school priority.
Palo Alto (specifically Old Palo Alto, Crescent Park, and Professorville) is the Peninsula's school-priority answer for tech families. Three of the top-rated public schools in California are within a half-mile of each other, the downtown is genuinely walkable, and Caltrain puts you in SF in 35 minutes. We place a large share of mid-career engineering directors, VPs, and academic relocations here when school priority is unconditional. The trade is straightforward: it's a suburb, the urban infrastructure is limited, and rents are SF-tier without SF.
Lifestyle figures
Best of Palo Alto (Old Palo Alto) for you
Schools
- school
school
Walter Hays Elementary School0.6 kmTop-ranked PAUSD elementary; test scores among the highest in California public schools.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - school
school
Jordan Middle School0.8 kmHighly regarded PAUSD middle school drawing from Old Palo Alto and Professorville.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - school
school
Palo Alto High School (Paly)0.9 kmFlagship public high school; consistently top 1% nationally for college admissions outcomes.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Walkable / key streets
- high street
high street
University Avenue0.5 kmPalo Alto's walkable downtown: restaurants, wine bars, bookshop, and Caltrain station.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - high street
high street
California Avenue1.1 kmQuieter secondary commercial street with Saturday farmers market and local restaurants.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - village
village
Stanford Shopping Center1.4 km4.5(11,042)Open-air upscale retail center adjacent to Stanford; the area's premier shopping destination.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
Quiet / leafy streets
- Old Palo Alto residential streets0.3 km
Canopy-covered wide streets with craftsman and colonial homes; the city's quietest blocks.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - area
area
Embarcadero Road residential stretch0.6 km4.7(1,196)Wide tree-lined blocks with generous setbacks; very low pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Directions ↗Pinned on map - Professorville historic district0.7 km
Turn-of-the-century homes on quiet lanes; the oldest and most storied residential precinct.
Directions ↗Pinned on map
To buy (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 BR | 1,370,000 | 1,670,000 | 2,140,000 |
| 3 BR | 2,120,000 | 2,590,000 | 3,320,000 |
Estimated from local rents — placeholder, pending verified sale data.
Rent ranges (USD)
| Type | Low | Median | High | Δ 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 BR | 4,500 | 5,800 | 7,500 | ↑ 2.5% |
| 3 BR | 6,500 | 9,000 | 12,000 | ↑ 2.1% |
Source: Rentals.ca + Zumper Q1 2026, refreshed weekly via our rent worker.
Our advice
Before you sign a lease
- School catchment boundaries are strictly enforced and houses on the wrong side of a street can be in a different elementary district
- Older homes may have outdated systems — request inspection records
- Caltrain proximity is a benefit but also a noise concern — verify distance to the track
- Many homes are owner-occupied with sabbatical rentals — confirm full-year lease availability
Pacific Relocation
Want our help finding a place here?
Book a free 30-min Discovery Call with Pacific Relocation.
Last reviewed 2026-05-27.