San Mateo, California
Among the top 4% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 45% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 89% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 77% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 2% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for cost of living
San Mateo is a city in California with about 104,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, airport distance, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and cost of living.
Official websitecityofsanmateo.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
76%51%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.0 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$149k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$94kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$1.5M99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$3kbetter than 1% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.59%better than 81% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden22.22%better than 2% of US places
Unemployment4.7%better than 42% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)64°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation19.3 in13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days231 daysbetter than 46% of US places
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 86% of US places
Comfortable Days229 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk90.8better than 9% of US places
Air Quality37 AQIbetter than 83% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime838/100kbetter than 44% of US places
Property Crime2361/100kbetter than 13% of US places
Community
Population104,16599th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age38.136th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.7099th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0054th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+592nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)38.8%13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.9%65th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)24.7%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)26.8%99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)7.8%84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time29 minbetter than 33% of US places
Walkability11.8/20better than 92% of US places
Airport Distance6 mibetter than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.7%better than 82% of US places
Amenities Nearby57.89better than 42% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 71% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is San Mateo an affordable place to live?
- San Mateo is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $94k, better than 0% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in San Mateo?
- The median home value in San Mateo is $1.5M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in San Mateo?
- Median household income in San Mateo is $149k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in San Mateo?
- Median gross rent in San Mateo is $3k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is San Mateo safe?
- San Mateo is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 838/100k (better than 44%). Property crime is 2361/100k.
- What is the weather like in San Mateo?
- San Mateo averages 64°F in July and 51°F in January, with 19.3 in of annual precipitation and about 231 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in San Mateo?
- Public-school quality in San Mateo is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in San Mateo?
- The average one-way commute in San Mateo is 29 min.
Other places in San Mateo County
Places near San Mateo
Compare San Mateo
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)