City comparison
Palo Alto, CA is about 10 miles (10 km) from Sunnyvale, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 8 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Palo Alto, CA to Sunnyvale, CA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Sunnyvale has a population of 154,573, vs 67,901 in Palo Alto — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Palo Alto covers about 24 sq mi vs 22 sq mi for Sunnyvale.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Palo Alto | Sunnyvale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,169/mo | $2,990/mo | 6.0% higher in Palo Alto |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,680,700 | 19.0% higher in Palo Alto |
| Median household income | $214,118 | $174,506 | 22.7% higher in Palo Alto |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 153.8 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Palo Alto, you'd need $99,651 in Sunnyvale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sunnyvale, CA is about 0.3% cheaper overall than Palo Alto, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Palo Alto, you'd need about $79,721 in Sunnyvale to keep the same standard of living.