San Carlos, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Carlos, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | San Carlos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,659 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5109.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.05% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,232 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Carlos grew by 10.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 27,659 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Carlos is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.5% of residents. That is 4.6 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,260 15.4% -6.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,350 23.0% -0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,777 24.5% +4.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,366 15.8% +0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in San Carlos and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% California 49.9%
- Men 48.5% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in San Carlos
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Economy
San Carlos has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | San Carlos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $205,565 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.92% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Carlos is about 107% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Carlos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $461,911 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,813 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Carlos is about 13.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,813 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Carlos spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Carlos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.1 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.2 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,711 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 34.9% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 45,667 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,072 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in San Carlos is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
San Carlos has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | San Carlos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.70 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
San Carlos has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | San Carlos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 7.6% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
San Carlos, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
San Carlos, CA is the 3rd largest of the 4 cities compared here, 27,659 residents against a local median of 82,255. San Carlos, CA's median home price, at $461,911, runs 74% below the $1,749,901 typical of the cities around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $205,565 against a local median of $156,854, 31% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 31% above the local median it puts San Carlos, CA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $1,770,478 on median home price, so San Carlos, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Carlos, CA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Carlos, CA | 27,659 | $205,565 #1/4 | $461,911 #3/4 | 22.1 min #1/4 |
| Belmont, CA | 24,586 | $202,176 | $1,749,901 | 25.4 min |
| Redwood City, CA | 82,255 | $156,854 | $2,067,415 | 22.3 min |
| San Mateo, CA | 101,951 | $153,407 | $296,936 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Carlos, California.
How many people live in San Carlos, California?
About 27,659 people live in San Carlos, California, in 10,232 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is San Carlos, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, San Carlos, California has 5,110 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 59 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in San Carlos, California?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($461,911 against $205,565), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $2,813 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in San Carlos, California have a college degree?
63.9% of adults in San Carlos, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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