Palo Alto, Pennsylvania Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 960, Palo Alto's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Palo Alto is a small community located in Pennsylvania, within Schuylkill County. The total population is 960. It ranks as the 1014th most populous out of 1,991 Census-designated places in Pennsylvania.

Age Demographics

The median age in Palo Alto is 42.2 years. This is 3% higher than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Palo Alto is $61,667. This is 21% lower than the state median of $77,971. It is also 24% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.3%. This is 5% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 19% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $91,100. Housing costs are 64% lower than the state median of $254,500. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.5x, Palo Alto is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 83.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 69.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Palo Alto has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.4%. The Black or African American population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 10.3%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.4%) is well below the state average of 8.7%.

Education

10.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 69% lower than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Palo Alto, Pennsylvania is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Pennsylvania state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,991 Census-designated places in Pennsylvania. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.