San Mateo, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Mateo, 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.
-
A+
Health Top grade
-
A+
Income Top grade
-
A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | San Mateo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 101,951 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6432.6 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.05% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 39,436 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Mateo grew by 11.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 101,951 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Mateo is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.8% of residents. That is 3.1 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,067 18.7% -3.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 27,286 26.8% +3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 19,658 19.3% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,487 15.2% on par
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 50.4% of the people living in San Mateo and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% California 49.9%
- Men 49.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in San Mateo
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
San Mateo has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | San Mateo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $153,407 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.05% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Mateo is about 55% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Mateo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $296,936 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $3,073 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Mateo is about 8.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $3,073 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Mateo spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 193 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Mateo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.2 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.4 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 193 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,991 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 24.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 35,627 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,403 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in San Mateo is about the same as 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 Mateo has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | San Mateo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.1% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
San Mateo has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | San Mateo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
San Mateo, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How San Mateo, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CA | 101,951 | $153,407 #3/3 | $296,936 #3/3 | 23.2 min #1/3 |
| Belmont, CA | 24,586 | $202,176 | $1,749,901 | 25.4 min |
| Burlingame, CA | 29,545 | $169,776 | $2,165,902 | 28.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Mateo, California.
What is the population of San Mateo, California?
About 101,951 people live in San Mateo, California, in 39,436 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 36.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is San Mateo, California?
Averaged over its land area, San Mateo, California has 6,433 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 74 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in San Mateo, California?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($296,936 against $153,407), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $3,073 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in San Mateo, California have a college degree?
55.1% of adults in San Mateo, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →