Menlo Park vs San Mateo
Menlo Park, California versus San Mateo, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Menlo Park edges out San Mateo on overall objective livability (54 vs 49 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Menlo Park | San Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $198k | $149k |
| Cost of Living | $94k | $94k |
| Home Value | $2.0M | $1.5M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.26% | 22.22% |
| Unemployment | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 66°F | 64°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.1 in | 19.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 232 days | 229 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 90.4 | 90.8 |
| Air Quality | 35 AQI | 37 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 539/100k | 838/100k |
| Property Crime | 1775/100k | 2361/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 33,324 | 104,165 |
| Median Age | 38.5 | 38.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+59 | D+59 |
| White (%) | 54.7% | 38.8% |
| Black (%) | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 17.3% | 24.7% |
| Asian (%) | 16.4% | 26.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.5% | 7.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 11.8/20 | 11.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 15 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.2% | 94.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 215.76 | 57.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Menlo Park or San Mateo more affordable?
- San Mateo has the lower cost of living: its index is $94k, compared with Menlo Park's $94k and San Mateo's $94k. Median rent is $3k in Menlo Park versus $3k in San Mateo.
- Is Menlo Park or San Mateo safer?
- Menlo Park has the lower violent crime rate. Menlo Park reports 539/100k and San Mateo reports 838/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Menlo Park or San Mateo?
- The median home value is $2.0M in Menlo Park and $1.5M in San Mateo, so homes are more affordable in San Mateo.