Moving to
Belmont.

All Belmont data Compare Belmont

27,337people live here $205,297median household income▲ 154% above US $2,875median rent per month▲ 103% above US $2,000,000+median home valueCensus top category

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it's like to live in Belmont

Belmont is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Belmont deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and larger class sizes than the national average.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Above-average commute times
High student-teacher ratio

How Belmont compares

Median household income

Belmont$205,297

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Belmont$2,875

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

Median home value

Belmont$2,000,000+

California avg$734,700

US$332,700

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it takes to move to Belmont

Based on Belmont's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$5,750

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $115,000 a year
40% of Belmont renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$400,000

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $200,000
Homes cost 9.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 103% above US

$2,875/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,875 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $2,000,000+. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $2,000,000+ · 40% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.3% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 58% below US

138 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1296/100k · Belmont Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

29 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 28.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 34% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

52%

Work from home

34%

Carpool

6.1%

Public transit

4.7%

Walk

2.0%

Other

1.3%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 94% above US

70% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

6 public schools inside the boundary

There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Point National Historic Site (22 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Belmont's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,875/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (34% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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