San Mateo, CA vs San Carlos, CA

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

MetricSan Mateo, CASan Carlos, CA
Population103,10529,614
Median Household Income$153,504$237,470
Median Rent$3,077/mo$2,854/mo
Median Home Value$1,618,700$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)116116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income44.8%36.2%
Poverty Rate8.2%3.3%
Unemployment Rate3.8%3.9%
Violent Crime Rate /100k168181*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,5021,075*
Median AQI2727
Good AQI Days /yr281281
Summer Highs73°F80°F
Winter Lows45°F41°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute26.1 min24.6 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher19.721.2
College Degree Rate57.8%70.2%
Foreign-Born %36.2%25.9%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.2%-4.8%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.
* Rate of the agency that polices San Carlos (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.