Is West Menlo Park, CA a Good Place to Live?
West Menlo Park is a small town of 3,401 in California, with a median household income of $250,001 and a 4.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 118 (US average = 100), which is 18% above the national average.
Strengths: West Menlo Park stands out for a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether West Menlo Park is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All West Menlo Park city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 118.2West Menlo Park's overall cost of living index is 118.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in West Menlo Park costs roughly 18% more than the average American city.
| Metric | West Menlo Park, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $2,000,001 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $3,354 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 78.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $250,001 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageWest Menlo Park's violent crime rate is 264.7 per 100,000 residents — 30% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | West Menlo Park, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 86.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
West Menlo Park sees average highs of 61.2°F in January and 88.3°F in July, with 15.1 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | West Menlo Park, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 61.2°F |
| Average High — July | 88.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | West Menlo Park, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,401 | — |
| Median Age | 39.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 74.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 16.8% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 31.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.3% | 16.8% |