The Town FilesMenlo Park, California
City in San Mateo County · population 33,780 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $2,000,001
- Household income
- $210,025
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 79°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 39.5
Menlo Park is a city of 33,780 people in San Mateo County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for cycling than 99% of California towns, better for young professionals than 97% of California towns, more upscale than 93% of California towns.
How Menlo Park ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Menlo Park is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.5 times the median household income of $210,025, which is more affordable than 12% of California towns. Median rent is $3,239 a month. 54.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Menlo Park | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,239 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $210,025 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 9.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 54.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.0% | — |
Who lives in Menlo Park
| People | Menlo Park | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 21.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 72.5% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 30.0% | — |
| Work from home | 32.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Menlo Park
July highs average 79.4°F and January lows 39.0°F. About 15.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 14 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Menlo Park since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 5, 1998 about 10.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 5, 1998.
Severe weather in San Mateo County since 1996
San Mateo County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| August 22, 2020 | Fire | DR-4558: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in San Mateo County
San Mateo County had 416,422 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $196,441 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Menlo Park itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Menlo Park
7 public schools with 3,548 students, about 17.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillview Middle | 6-8 | 858 | 16.2 |
| La Entrada Middle | 4-8 | 591 | 15.2 |
| Oak Knoll Elementary | K-5 | 582 | 18.8 |
| KIPP Valiant Community Prep (charter) | K-8 | 575 | 21.3 |
| Garfield Elementary | K-8 | 395 | 19.8 |
| Belle Haven Elementary | K-5 | 339 | 21.2 |
| Tide Academy | 9-12 | 208 | 9.5 |
Towns near Menlo Park
- East Palo Alto, CA1.2 mi · 30,034 people · home $1,102,600
- North Fair Oaks, CA3.1 mi · 14,027 people · home $1,276,900
- Atherton, CA3.3 mi · 7,188 people · home $2,000,001
- Stanford, CA3.8 mi · 21,150 people · home $2,000,001
- Redwood City, CA4.4 mi · 84,292 people · home $1,801,700
- West Menlo Park, CA4.4 mi · 3,930 people · home $2,000,001
- Palo Alto, CA5.8 mi · 68,572 people · home $2,000,001
- Emerald Lake Hills, CA6.5 mi · 4,406 people · home $2,000,001
Menlo Park questions
Is Menlo Park, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Menlo Park scores better for retirees than 53% of California towns and quieter than 27%. 16.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.5).
How much does a house cost in Menlo Park?
The median owner-occupied home in Menlo Park is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $210,025, so homes cost about 9.5 times income. Median rent is $3,239 a month.
What is the weather like in Menlo Park?
July highs average 79.4°F and January lows 39.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 15.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Menlo Park get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Menlo Park since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 5, 1998. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)