Cost of Living and Housing in San Mateo, California

San Mateo has about 103,105 residents. Median gross rent is $3,077 per month and median household income is $153,504.

Comparison scope: “dataset median” below means the median among 1,211 cities across 10 states in this dataset. It is not presented as a nationwide Census median. The figures use 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates and may lag current listings.

Median Gross Rent $3,077/mo 86% above the dataset median

Median Home Value $1,618,700 333% above the dataset median

Median Household Income $153,504 83% above the dataset median

Owner-Occupied Homes 50% Share of occupied housing units

Rent-to-Income Baseline 24% Annual median rent ÷ household income

Home Value-to-Income 10.5x Median value ÷ household income

How San Mateo compares

Rent is 86% above the dataset median, while household income is 83% above the dataset median. Within California, San Mateo ranks #325 from lowest to highest rent and #40 from highest to lowest household income among 347 cities in this dataset.

The rent-to-income figure compares two citywide medians. It is useful for broad comparison, but it is not an individual household budget or a measure of renter cost burden.

Similar-size cities in California

Frequently asked questions

What is the median rent in San Mateo?

Median gross rent is $3,077 per month in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the median home value in San Mateo?

The median value of owner-occupied homes is $1,618,700 in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the median household income?

Median household income in San Mateo is $153,504 per year.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Local database refreshed 2026-07-11.