Half Moon Bay, CA vs San Mateo, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricHalf Moon Bay, CASan Mateo, CA
Population11,391103,105
Median Household Income$157,884$153,504
Median Rent$2,433/mo$3,077/mo
Median Home Value$1,549,500$1,618,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)116116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income38.8%44.8%
Poverty Rate5.6%8.2%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.8%
Violent Crime Rate /100k181*168
Property Crime Rate /100k1,075*1,502
Median AQI2727
Good AQI Days /yr281281
Summer Highs65°F73°F
Winter Lows43°F45°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute29.3 min26.1 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher21.519.7
College Degree Rate52.4%57.8%
Foreign-Born %21.6%36.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.3%-2.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Half Moon Bay (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.