San Mateo County, California Housing Market Prices
San Mateo County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 168% above the California median Among the 3 most expensive counties in California$1,744,985
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Median rent 43% above the California median Most expensive county in California$2,920
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | San Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,744,985 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 8.5% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,920 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.1% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in San Mateo County is about 168% higher than in California. Rent is about 43% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Mateo County, up about 8.5% and 6.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in San Mateo County rose about 69.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,727 to $2,920. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 10.9 yearly household incomes in San Mateo County.
Buying the median-priced home in San Mateo County costs roughly 49.8 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in San Mateo County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | San Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $1,744,985 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $159,405 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in San Mateo County rose about 137.1%, while median household income rose about 83.0% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | San Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 53.6% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 38.5% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 8.0% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2011 | 2011 |
San Mateo County has a homeownership rate of 53.6%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 8.0%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | San Mateo County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.75 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1964 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in San Mateo County was built around 1964. On average, 2.8 people live in a home with about 4.9 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
San Mateo County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
San Mateo County, CA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 733,246 residents against a local median of 1,163,035. The measure that sets San Mateo County, CA apart most is median home price: $1,744,985, 57% above the local median of $1,111,762.
Median rent tells the same story from another angle: $2,920 against a local median of $2,374, 23% above it. The counties themselves spread $715,504 on median home price, so San Mateo County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Mateo County, CA has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County, CA | 733,246 | $1,744,985 #1/6 | $2,920 #1/6 | 58.2% #3/6 |
| San Francisco County, CA | 829,818 | $1,276,188 | $2,475 | 38.2% |
| Alameda County, CA | 1,648,382 | $833,751 | $2,356 | 54.4% |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | $1,111,762 | $2,264 | 59.9% |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 1,163,035 | $663,272 | $2,374 | 68.0% |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | $1,378,776 | $2,856 | 55.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in San Mateo County, California.
What is the median home price in San Mateo County, California?
The median home price in San Mateo County, California is $1,744,985, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in San Mateo County, California?
The typical home price in San Mateo County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $1,744,985. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in San Mateo County, California?
The median gross rent in San Mateo County, California is $2,920 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in San Mateo County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in San Mateo County, California was $2,434 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in San Mateo County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in San Mateo County, California is about 49.8, meaning it would take roughly 49.8 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in San Mateo County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in San Mateo County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Mateo County, up about 8.5% and 6.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in San Mateo County, California?
53.6% of households in San Mateo County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in San Mateo County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in San Mateo County, California is 8.0%, higher than the California average of 7.5%.
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