Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 55/100
C−
Median home value$1,618,700
San Francisco $1,140,700
Median rent$3,077/mo
San Francisco $2,474/mo
Cost-burdened households39%
San Francisco 38%
San Mateo
San Mateo County103,105 residents2 school districts
68
B−
Suburbgrade score
8th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. Strongest on amenities, held back by housing & affordability.
68
San Francisco median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for San Mateo yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 68 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What San Mateo is like to live in, by category
Bars show San Mateo against San Francisco. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 71/100
B−
Within-state proficiency83rd pct
San Francisco median 73rd pct
Student–teacher ratio20.7
San Francisco median 21.7
Graduation rate93%
San Francisco median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 65/100
C+
Housing cost index113
San Francisco 100
Eff. tax rate0.67%
San Francisco 0.73%
Local sales tax9.63%
San Francisco median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 69/100
B−
Mean commute26.1 min
San Francisco 31.0 min
Under 30 minutes60%
San Francisco 52%
Transit stops / sq mi17
San Francisco median 8.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 91/100
A
Restaurants & cafés186
San Francisco median 64 · within 2 miles
Groceries17
San Francisco median 7 · within 2 miles
Parks88
San Francisco median 59 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 63/100
C+
Median household income$153,504
San Francisco $136,027
Unemployment4.6%
San Francisco 5.7%
Professional occupations59%
San Francisco 56%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for San Mateo yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than San Mateo on housing & affordability
San Mateo's weakest grade is C−. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Orinda24 mi from San MateoB 65 C+ San Carlos5 mi from San MateoB− 74 B Moraga22 mi from San MateoC+ 62 C Menlo Park11 mi from San MateoC+ 64 C+ Millbrae6 mi from San MateoC+ 65 C+ Foster City3 mi from San MateoC+ 66 C+ Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in San Mateo
Is San Mateo, CA a good place to live?
San Mateo scores 68 out of 100, 8th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is San Mateo expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades C+. The median home is $1,618,700, 42% above the San Francisco median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.67%. $3,077/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in San Mateo?
Schools grade B−. The districts serving San Mateo sit at the 83rd pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 93% graduation rate and a 20.7 student–teacher ratio. San Mateo is served by San Mateo Union High and San Mateo-Foster City. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from San Mateo?
The mean commute is 26.1 min, with 60% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 25% working from home. Transit density is 17 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in San Mateo?
Within two miles there are 17 groceries, 186 restaurants and cafés and 88 parks, which grades A on amenities.
Are the homes in San Mateo old or new?
The median home in San Mateo was built in 1965 — close to the San Francisco median of 1968. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 51% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.