Portola Valley, California
Population, housing costs, incomes, jobs, commuting and climate in Portola Valley, compared with California and the U.S. using Census records and their margins of error.
Portola Valley town · Incorporated town · Census GEOID 0658380 · California directory
- Population · July 1, 2025
- 4,292 PEP Vintage 2025
- Change · 2024 to 2025
- +0.4% +19 residents
- Household income
- At least $250,000 ACS 2020–2024 · MOE unavailable
- Home value
- At least $2,000,000 ACS 2020–2024 · MOE unavailable
- Monthly gross rent
- At least $3,500 ACS 2020–2024 · MOE unavailable
- Median age
- 60.6 years ACS 2020–2024 · ±9.5
Portola Valley is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area. With 4,292 residents on July 1, 2025, it ranks 436th in California and 5,339th nationally among Census places. Its population grew by 19 (0.4%) in the year to July 2025; since April 2020 it has declined 3.7%. Median gross rent in the 2020–2024 survey is At least $3,500 a month. Median household income is At least $250,000.
Detailed demographics → Housing and cost-of-living context →
What stands out in Portola Valley?
Compared with other California places, Portola Valley is most distinctive for a larger share of cost-burdened renters, more remote and home-based work and more college graduates. Each statement below uses reliable estimates only, and survey differences from the state exceed their combined 90% margin of error.
- Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent: 87.1%, 31.8 percentage points above the California rate (55.3%); higher than 99% of 453 California places with reliable estimates. It ranks 1st of 453 in California.
- Workers who work from home: 49.1%, 32.0 percentage points above the California rate (17.2%); higher than 99% of 397 California places with reliable estimates. It ranks 2nd of 397 in California.
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 86.9%, 49.9 percentage points above the California rate (37.1%); higher than 99% of 465 California places with reliable estimates. It ranks 4th of 465 in California.
- Median age: 60.6 years, 22.7 years older than the California median (37.9 years); higher than 98% of 483 California places with reliable estimates. It ranks 10th of 483 in California.
- Residents per square mile of land: 473; lower than 96% of 483 California places with reliable estimates.
How Portola Valley compares with California and the U.S.
| Measure | Portola Valley | California | U.S. | Position in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population change since April 2020 PEP Vintage 2025 | -3.7% | — | — | lower than 73% of 483 California places |
| Residents per square mile of land PEP 2025 / Gazetteer 2025 | 473 | — | — | lower than 96% of 483 California places |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent B25070 | 87.1% ±24.4 pp | 55.3% | 51.1% | higher than 99% of 453 California places |
| Homeownership rate B25003 | 78.8% ±4.1 pp | 55.9% | 65.2% | higher than 89% of 480 California places |
| Median age B01002 | 60.6 years ±9.5 | 37.9 years | 38.9 years | higher than 98% of 483 California places |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher B15003 | 86.9% ±9.9 pp | 37.1% | 35.7% | higher than 99% of 465 California places |
| Poverty rate B17001 | 6.2% ±5.0 pp · low precision | 12.0% | 12.5% | Not ranked: low precision |
| People without health insurance B27010 | 1.0% ±1.6 pp · low precision | 6.6% | 8.4% | Not ranked: low precision |
| Households with a broadband subscription B28002 | 96.3% ±3.3 pp | 93.5% | 91.0% | higher than 80% of 478 California places |
| Unemployment rate (civilian labor force) B23025 | 3.1% ±3.2 pp · low precision | 6.6% | 5.2% | Not ranked: low precision |
| Foreign-born residents B05002 | 14.2% ±5.1 pp | 27.0% | 14.1% | lower than 80% of 448 California places |
| Jobs located in the place per 100 residents LODES 8.4 / PEP | 30.4 | — | — | lower than 60% of 476 California places |
| Change in local jobs since 2019 LODES 8.4 | +14.7% | — | — | higher than 89% of 470 California places |
| Workers who work from home B08301 | 49.1% ±13.1 pp | 17.2% | 15.1% | higher than 99% of 397 California places |
| Commutes of 45 minutes or longer B08303 | 4.2% ±4.9 pp · low precision | 19.4% | 16.5% | Not ranked: low precision |
| Households without a vehicle B08201 | 4.0% ±3.7 pp · low precision | 7.1% | 8.4% | Not ranked: low precision |
Positions compare Portola Valley with California places in this directory whose estimate has a coefficient of variation of 30% or less (survey measures) or a published PEP value. The marker runs from the lowest value (left) to the highest (right); it is a description, not a score or a recommendation. 5 measures are shown in grey because the survey margin of error is too wide to rank reliably.
How many people live in Portola Valley?
The latest official estimate is 4,292 residents on July 1, 2025. It ranks 5,339th by population nationally and 436th in California among this directory’s PEP places. Population changed by 19 residents between the 2024 and 2025 estimates. These are annual estimates, not census enumerations.
| Reference date | Population | Change from previous estimate |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2020 | 4,445 | Separate from April 2020 base |
| July 1, 2021 | 4,293 | -152 |
| July 1, 2022 | 4,240 | -53 |
| July 1, 2023 | 4,240 | +0 |
| July 1, 2024 | 4,273 | +33 |
| July 1, 2025 | 4,292 | +19 |
From the revised April 2020 base to July 2025, the change is −164 residents (-3.7%). This is a within-vintage comparison. Boundary adjustments can affect both the estimates and their interpretation.
Download this population chart (SVG) · Official population release
Where are the boundaries?
- Entity and stable identifier
- Portola Valley town, California · Incorporated town · 0658380
- Counties or equivalents · 2025 boundaries
- San Mateo County
- Metropolitan or micropolitan context · July 2023 delineations
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — Metropolitan Statistical Area County associations use Census PEP county place parts. Each county is matched by FIPS code to the official CBSA list; a city can span several counties or statistical areas. A missing association can reflect an area outside a CBSA or changed county codes between vintages. City figures on this page remain place-level statistics.
- Land area
- 9.1 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Water area
- 0.0 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Approximate population density
- 473 residents per square mile of land
- Internal point
- 37.365191°, -122.232724° · Census geographic reference point
Density divides the July 2025 estimate by 2025 Gazetteer land area, so it is approximate. The internal point is a locator, not an address. Census place profile reference .
Income and poverty
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income Households · USD/year | At least $250,000 MOE unavailable | $99,122 ±$310 | $80,734 ±$166 |
| Per-capita income Total population · USD/year | $191,133 ±$31,081 | $49,513 ±$168 | $44,673 ±$122 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty level | 262 ±212 · low precision | 6.2% ±5.0 pp · low precision |
Household income combines the incomes of everyone in a household; per-capita income divides all income by every resident. The poverty rate is 6.2% (±5.0 percentage points · low precision) under the official Census definition.
Home values, rent and tenure
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median owner-occupied home value Owner-occupied housing units · USD | At least $2,000,000 MOE unavailable | $734,700 ±$1,307 | $332,700 ±$236 |
| Median gross rent Renter-occupied units paying cash rent · USD/month | At least $3,500 MOE unavailable | $2,036 ±$5 | $1,413 ±$2 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Owner occupied | 1,392 ±149 | 78.8% ±4.1 pp |
| Renter occupied | 375 ±153 | 21.2% ±8.4 pp |
Owner-occupied units make up 78.8% of occupied housing. Gross rent includes estimated tenant-paid utilities and home values are owners’ own estimates; both cover 2020–2024 leases and homes rather than current listings.
See housing units, occupancy, rent burden and homeowner costs .
Monthly rent by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Monthly gross rent | 90% margin of error | Precision |
|---|---|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 1 bedroom | At least $3,500 | Unavailable | Open-ended range |
| 2 bedrooms | At least $3,500 | Unavailable | Open-ended range |
| 3 bedrooms | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 4 bedrooms | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| 5 or more bedrooms | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Census table B25031 describes renter-occupied units paying cash rent within this exact place geography. Gross rent includes contract rent and estimated tenant-paid utilities. These survey medians include existing leases across 2020–2024; they are not current apartment listings. Missing categories stay unavailable, and open-ended medians remain ranges. Small bedroom categories can have large margins of error. Download source values and provenance .
Employment among residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force | 1,526 ±248 | 42.3% ±6.2 pp |
| Not in the labor force | 2,080 ±337 | 57.7% ±8.5 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian employed | 1,478 ±255 | 96.9% ±5.6 pp |
| Civilian unemployed | 48 ±49 · low precision | 3.1% ±3.2 pp · low precision |
These estimates describe residents of Portola Valley wherever they work; jobs at workplaces inside the city appear under jobs located in Portola Valley. They are 2020–2024 averages, not a current monthly unemployment rate.
Which industries employ residents?
Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste services is the largest of the published broad industry groups among employed residents: 33.3% (492 people; ±9.6 percentage points). The estimate covers residents’ industries wherever they work, rather than employers located inside the place.
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining | 9 ±21 · low precision | 0.6% ±1.4 pp · low precision |
| Construction | 9 ±20 · low precision | 0.6% ±1.3 pp · low precision |
| Manufacturing | 36 ±39 · low precision | 2.4% ±2.6 pp · low precision |
| Wholesale trade | 30 ±38 · low precision | 2.0% ±2.5 pp · low precision |
| Retail trade | 53 ±45 · low precision | 3.6% ±3.0 pp · low precision |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 0 ±20 · low precision | 0.0% ±1.3 pp · low precision |
| Information | 200 ±101 · low precision | 13.5% ±6.4 pp |
| Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing | 301 ±148 | 20.4% ±9.4 pp |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste services | 492 ±165 | 33.3% ±9.6 pp |
| Education, health care and social assistance | 146 ±81 · low precision | 9.9% ±5.2 pp · low precision |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services | 106 ±73 · low precision | 7.2% ±4.8 pp · low precision |
| Other services, except public administration | 75 ±56 · low precision | 5.1% ±3.7 pp · low precision |
| Public administration | 21 ±37 · low precision | 1.4% ±2.5 pp · low precision |
Occupations among employed residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management, business, science and arts | 1,297 ±218 | 87.8% ±21.1 pp |
| Service occupations | 56 ±52 · low precision | 3.8% ±3.5 pp · low precision |
| Sales and office | 94 ±63 · low precision | 6.4% ±4.1 pp · low precision |
| Natural resources, construction and maintenance | 9 ±20 · low precision | 0.6% ±1.3 pp · low precision |
| Production, transportation and material moving | 22 ±34 · low precision | 1.5% ±2.3 pp · low precision |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management occupations | 512 ±151 | 34.6% ±8.3 pp |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 151 ±74 | 10.2% ±4.7 pp |
| Educational instruction and library occupations | 67 ±53 · low precision | 4.5% ±3.5 pp · low precision |
| Health practitioners and technical occupations | 66 ±59 · low precision | 4.5% ±3.9 pp · low precision |
| Sales and related occupations | 65 ±48 · low precision | 4.4% ±3.2 pp · low precision |
| Transportation occupations | 0 ±20 · low precision | 0.0% ±1.3 pp · low precision |
The detailed groups are subsets of the broad groups and should not be added to them.
How residents get to work
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 691 ±215 | 47.4% ±12.1 pp |
| Carpooled | 0 ±14 · low precision | 0.0% ±1.0 pp · low precision |
| Public transportation | 0 ±14 · low precision | 0.0% ±1.0 pp · low precision |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | 0 ±14 · low precision | 0.0% ±1.0 pp · low precision |
| Motorcycle | 0 ±14 · low precision | 0.0% ±1.0 pp · low precision |
| Bicycle | 12 ±21 · low precision | 0.8% ±1.4 pp · low precision |
| Walked | 38 ±46 · low precision | 2.6% ±3.1 pp · low precision |
| Other means | 0 ±14 · low precision | 0.0% ±1.0 pp · low precision |
| Worked from home | 716 ±230 | 49.1% ±13.1 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15 minutes | 260 ±109 | 35.1% ±10.2 pp |
| 15–29 minutes | 272 ±143 · low precision | 36.7% ±15.8 pp |
| 30–44 minutes | 178 ±105 · low precision | 24.0% ±12.3 pp · low precision |
| 45–59 minutes | 14 ±23 · low precision | 1.9% ±3.1 pp · low precision |
| 60 minutes or longer | 17 ±30 · low precision | 2.3% ±3.9 pp · low precision |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| No vehicle available | 70 ±66 · low precision | 4.0% ±3.7 pp · low precision |
Travel times cover workers who did not work from home. Vehicle availability is counted per household, not per driver.
Households and residents
Median age is 60.6 years (±9.5). The demographic profile covers age groups, race and Hispanic origin, household types, nativity, languages, education and moves, each compared with California and the U.S.
How many jobs are located in Portola Valley?
Employers in Portola Valley reported 1,290 jobs in 2023, +14.7% compared with 2019 (1,125 jobs). That is 30.4 jobs for every 100 residents in the July 2023 population estimate. These are jobs at workplaces inside the city limits, wherever the workers live, unlike resident employment figures.
| Industry | Jobs | Share of local jobs | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 237 | 18.4% | 9.3% |
| Educational services | 221 | 17.1% | 8.6% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 213 | 16.5% | 7.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 144 | 11.2% | 16.1% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 138 | 10.7% | 2.1% |
| Other services, except public administration | 112 | 8.7% | 3.2% |
| Administrative, support and waste management services | 81 | 6.3% | 6.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 35 | 2.7% | 1.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 22 | 1.7% | 2.9% |
| Construction | 19 | 1.5% | 5.2% |
| Retail trade | 19 | 1.5% | 8.7% |
| Information | 15 | 1.2% | 4.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 14 | 1.1% | 4.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 9 | 0.7% | 1.9% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 0.2% | 7.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 0.2% | 3.7% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 1 | 0.1% | 1.5% |
| Public administration | 1 | 0.1% | 4.2% |
| Group | Jobs | Share | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,250 a month or less | 172 | 13.3% | 15.5% |
| $1,251 to $3,333 a month | 205 | 15.9% | 24.9% |
| More than $3,333 a month | 913 | 70.8% | 59.6% |
| Age 29 or younger | 240 | 18.6% | 20.0% |
| Age 30 to 54 | 651 | 50.5% | 55.2% |
| Age 55 or older | 399 | 30.9% | 24.8% |
Accommodation and food services is the largest sector for jobs located in Portola Valley (18.4% of local jobs, compared with 9.3% statewide). Earnings bands describe what each job pays per month, not household income, and a worker can hold more than one job.
Source: Census LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) 8.4, workplace area characteristics, all jobs, second-quarter reference date. Census blocks are summed to 2024 place boundaries. Includes private, state and local government and federal civilian jobs; excludes self-employment, military and informal work. Counts include confidentiality noise and are less precise for small places.
Nearby station climate normals
No station in the retained NOAA release meets our complete standard-normal criteria within 25 km of this place’s Census internal point. We leave local climate values unavailable. Use NOAA’s station lookup to inspect other locations and their coverage.
Check a specific address before moving
City averages help compare places. A particular home’s school assignment, transit service and flood-map coverage need checks at the address.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — search the address, read the effective map and its date, and check any map changes. An unmapped location does not establish an absence of flood risk.
- NCES public school district directory — find district contact information, then use the district’s official address locator or enrollment office to confirm school assignment. A city name or district boundary alone does not assign a school.
- FCC National Broadband Map — check reported service at the exact location, then confirm availability and terms with the provider.
- Check the official transit operator’s route map and timetable for the address and your actual travel hours; the citywide commuting shares above do not measure service on a particular street.
Sources and data notes
Population: Census PEP Vintage 2025, published May 14, 2026. Survey measures: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates, published January 29, 2026, dollar figures in 2024 dollars. Geography: Census 2025 Gazetteer, with simplified 2024 state outlines for the locator. Statistical estimates and derived values use the same retained records in profiles, comparison, filters and downloads.
Climate uses NOAA 1991–2020 station normals (v1.0.1); jobs located in the city use LEHD LODES 8.4. Crime, school assignments and hazard scores are not inferred from these datasets, and missing values are never treated as zero. Inspect original sources, read calculation details, download this place’s source observations , or submit a correction.