San Carlos, CA
Census place 0665070 · pop 29,614
Known as 'The City of Good Living,' a nickname coined by early promoter Frederick Drake.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$2,000,001 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$4,511/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
67.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.50% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
3.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
12.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
70.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
27 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
15.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
7.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
22.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
3.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
98.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$237,470 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
Not measured for San Carlos: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is San Carlos, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, San Carlos scores 62/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is median household income and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is San Carlos, CA expensive to live in?
- San Carlos has a median home value of $2,000,001 and typical rent around $4,511/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in San Carlos, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($2,000,001) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is San Carlos, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is median household income ($237,470) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Known as 'The City of Good Living,' a nickname coined by early promoter Frederick Drake.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.