Palo Alto, CA Eviction Risk Score San Mateo County · California · Population 67,237
Sub-score breakdown
Sub-scores are national percentile rankings (1 = most landlord-friendly, 10 = most tenant-protective) derived from ACS 2023 5-year data, 2020 county presidential margin, and state law weighting. Source: ACS 2023 5-year + Gazetteer 2024.
Location & regional heat
Heat density reflects surrounding cities. Click any nearby city to compare.
About eviction risk in Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, CA has an eviction risk score of 8.3 out of 10, placing it in the high-risk tier for landlords operating in San Mateo County and the state of California. The score combines local political climate, court disposition patterns, cost-of-eviction estimates, tenant organizing strength, and the likelihood of new tenant-protective legislation in the next legislative cycle.
Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates show median gross rent as a percentage of household income is 26.6% — a core driver of eviction filings, because households above 30% of income on rent are statistically more likely to miss a payment after any income shock. Median gross rent in Palo Alto is $3,484/month. About 45.4% of occupied units here are renter-occupied.
Economic stress: poverty rate 5.4%, unemployment 3.7%. Higher values correlate with higher eviction filing rates and longer court timelines.
Political climate: In 2020, San Mateo County voted Democratic by 57.7 points — classified as strongly tenant-leaning for purposes of rent-control or just-cause expansion risk.
What this score means for landlords
At 8.3/10, Palo Alto is a high-risk environment. Expect exposure to just-cause requirements, relocation payments, extended notice periods, longer court timelines, and tenant attorneys contesting summary proceedings. Budget conservatively for cost and timeline, and audit lease addenda, disclosures, and notice templates against the latest state and local ordinances before any non-payment or holdover action.
Nearby Cities — Eviction Risk Comparison
Landlord Guides & Research Tools
Deepen your market research with these ACS-data guides. The metrics powering this score feed directly into each ranking.
- Rent Control Cities 2026 — Full National List & Map
- Worst Cities for Landlords 2026 — see where Palo Alto ranks nationally
- Most Rent-Burdened Cities in America — ACS 2023 leaderboard
- California Eviction Risk Overview — all counties & cities in California
- San Mateo County — compare every city in the county