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Hillsborough.

All Hillsborough data Compare Hillsborough

11,099people live here $250,000+median household incomeCensus top category $3,500+median rent per monthCensus top category $2,000,000+median home valueCensus top category

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent, $250,000+ for household income and $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above those.

What it's like to live in Hillsborough

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

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Hillsborough deals with rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices

How Hillsborough compares

Median household income

Hillsborough$250,000+

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

The Census tops out at $250,000+ for household income; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median rent (per month)

Hillsborough$3,500+

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median home value

Hillsborough$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 Hillsborough

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

To rent

$7,002

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $140,040 a year
12% of Hillsborough 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 8.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingCensus top category

$3,500+/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,500+ 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+ · 12% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.9% county unemployment

Unemployment in San Mateo County is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

San Mateo County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 86% below US

45 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 494/100k · Hillsborough Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

27 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 27.1 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; 36% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

52%

Work from home

36%

Carpool

5.1%

Other

3.7%

Public transit

1.9%

Walk

1.1%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 73°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 133% above US

84% 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

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Point National Historic Site (18 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Hillsborough'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. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (36% 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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