San Mateo, CA
Census place 0668252 · pop 103,105
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,618,700 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
$3,573/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 67.2% · worse than most cities
49.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
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 +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.2% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1887 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
246 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
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 12.1% · better than most cities
8.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
19.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.62% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
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 17.4% · better than most cities
13.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
57.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$153,504 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
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 36.5% · better than most cities
23.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is San Mateo, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, San Mateo scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity 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.
- How safe is San Mateo, CA?
- San Mateo reports 246 violent crimes per 100k and 1887 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is San Mateo, CA expensive to live in?
- San Mateo has a median home value of $1,618,700 and typical rent around $3,573/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in San Mateo, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,618,700) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is San Mateo, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (23.0%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.
