Los Altos vs. Palo Alto: Trains, Utilities, Taxes and Zoning

Los Altos and Palo Alto are next-door cities in Santa Clara County, and buyers often shop both. On the ground, the differences come down to trains, utilities, closing costs, zoning and which school district an address falls in. Here’s how they compare.

The basics

• Incorporated. Palo Alto in 1894, Los Altos in 1952.
• Caltrain. Palo Alto has two stations, Palo Alto (University Avenue) and California Avenue. Los Altos has no Caltrain station.
• Downtowns. Palo Alto has University Avenue and California Avenue; Los Altos has its downtown around Main and State streets. See Homes Near Downtown for homes within a short walk of each.
• Electricity. Palo Alto runs its own utility, which also provides gas, water, wastewater collection and fiber. Los Altos gets power from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, delivered by PG&E.
• School districts. Palo Alto is in the Palo Alto Unified School District. Most of Los Altos is in the Los Altos School District and the Mountain View–Los Altos Union High School District, with a portion in Cupertino Union and Fremont Union High. Check the district’s boundary lookup for any address.

At closing

Palo Alto adds a city transfer tax of $3.30 per $1,000 to the county’s $1.10; Los Altos adds none. On a $2 million sale that’s $8,800 in Palo Alto and $2,200 in Los Altos. See our transfer tax guide.

Homes and zoning

• Eichlers. Our index lists 29 Eichler tracts in Palo Alto and two in Los Altos, Fallen Leaf Park and San Antonio Court. See Silicon Valley Eichler tracts.
• Single-story zoning. Both cities have overlays. Palo Alto’s R-1(S) covers many Eichler tracts; Los Altos created its R1-S overlay in 2000 and has adopted it in several neighborhoods. See overlays by city.
• Next door. Los Altos Hills is a separate town with its own rules; see Los Altos vs. Los Altos Hills.

Compare the market live

Our City Match-Up puts Los Altos and Palo Alto side by side with live listings and the last 90 days of sales: median prices, price per square foot, sale-to-list and months of supply. Switch to houses only to compare like with like.

Weighing the two? Call the Boyenga Team at (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.