What it's like to live in San Mateo
San Mateo is a mid-size 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. San Mateo deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, 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
- High student-teacher ratio
How San Mateo compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to San Mateo
Based on San Mateo's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$6,154
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $123,080 a year
- 45% of San Mateo renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$323,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $161,870
- Homes cost 10.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 118% above US
$3,077/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $3,077 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 $1,618,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,618,700 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 12% below US
3.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 49% below US
168 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 1502/100k · San Mateo Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.1 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; 25% work from home.
How workers get to work
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
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 61% above US
58% 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
18 public schools inside the boundary
There are 18 public schools inside the boundary and 15 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Presidio of San Francisco (18 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
San Mateo'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 ($3,077/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (25% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near San Mateo
All California guides →Moving to Hillsborough →
3 mi away · pop. 11,099
Rent $3,500+/mo · Income $250,000+
Compare with San Mateo →Moving to Burlingame →
3 mi away · pop. 30,525
Rent $2,785/mo · Income $174,000
Compare with San Mateo →Moving to Foster City →
4 mi away · pop. 32,792
Rent $3,500+/mo · Income $199,143
Compare with San Mateo →Not sure San Mateo is the one?
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