CITY · 1990 CENSUS
San Mateo
California · 85,486 residents · 12.134 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
The short version
San Mateo is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $42,894. Population has declined 8% since 2000. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $348,800. Poverty is rare here, at 6.2% of residents.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 36.6
US median: 33.0
More educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024103K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 55.7%(4,855)
5 to 95.4%(4,607)
10 to 144.7%(3,977)
15 to 194.9%(4,197)
20 to 246.6%(5,635)
25 to 3420%(17,067)
35 to 4416.3%(13,921)
45 to 5411.3%(9,672)
55 to 649%(7,729)
65 to 748.8%(7,499)
75 to 845.6%(4,771)
85 and over1.8%(1,556)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$42,894
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $64,757 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$348,800
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $453,600 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in San Mateo on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic56.5%(52,260)
Black2.5%(2,273)
Hispanic / Latino20.5%(18,973)
Asian14.9%(13,811)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic78.7%(67,242)
Black3.4%(2,899)
Hispanic / Latino15.3%(13,071)
Asian13.2%(11,305)
Other4.7%(4,040)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
Mexican13%(13,396)
Central American8.7%(8,965)
Salvadoran3.8%(3,937)
Guatemalan3.4%(3,456)
South American3.1%(3,197)
Peruvian1.6%(1,700)
Nicaraguan1.1%(1,156)
Puerto Rican0.6%(657)
Colombian0.6%(590)
Spaniard0.6%(588)
Chilean0.4%(398)
Honduran0.3%(354)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Cuban0.2%(234)
Argentine0.2%(227)
Ecuadorian0.1%(108)
Uruguayan0.1%(63)
Bolivian0.1%(54)
Dominican0%(41)
Panamanian0%(28)
Paraguayan0%(23)
Costa Rican0%(7)
Asian origin
Chinese12.5%(12,937)
Filipino4.9%(5,024)
Asian Indian4.4%(4,504)
Japanese1.4%(1,410)
Korean1.2%(1,204)
Taiwanese1%(997)
Vietnamese0.4%(410)
Pakistani0.3%(278)
Nepalese0.2%(197)
Indonesian0.1%(107)
Sri Lankan0.1%(87)
Burmese0.1%(70)
+ 9 more asian origin groups with data
Bangladeshi0.1%(60)
Thai0%(48)
Mongolian0%(40)
Cambodian0%(33)
Malaysian0%(30)
Kazakh0%(23)
Hmong0%(22)
Singaporean0%(8)
Okinawan0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan1%(1,015)
Fijian0.4%(426)
Native Hawaiian0.3%(263)
Samoan0.2%(213)
Chamorro0.1%(111)
Guamanian0%(25)
Ancestry
Irish7.1%(7,294)
German5.6%(5,810)
Italian5.5%(5,721)
English4.9%(5,041)
American2.4%(2,454)
Arab1.7%(1,777)
French1.6%(1,676)
Polish1.5%(1,568)
Scottish1.5%(1,548)
Russian1.2%(1,234)
Norwegian0.8%(805)
Iranian0.8%(804)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.8%(789)
Greek0.7%(773)
Portuguese0.7%(729)
Swedish0.6%(668)
Brazilian0.6%(607)
Lebanese0.5%(491)
British0.4%(381)
Ukrainian0.3%(351)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(326)
Danish0.3%(311)
Armenian0.3%(309)
Welsh0.3%(271)
Moroccan0.3%(266)
Swiss0.2%(237)
Subsaharan African0.2%(193)
Croatian0.2%(192)
Turkish0.2%(185)
French Canadian0.2%(174)
Austrian0.2%(169)
Hungarian0.2%(168)
Canadian0.1%(154)
Palestinian0.1%(151)
Egyptian0.1%(148)
Lithuanian0.1%(134)
Serbian0.1%(131)
West Indian0.1%(126)
Nigerian0.1%(117)
Czech0.1%(103)
Romanian0.1%(94)
Haitian0.1%(85)
Jordanian0.1%(65)
Belgian0.1%(62)
Finnish0.1%(60)
Slovak0%(48)
Jamaican0%(36)
Australian0%(33)
Bulgarian0%(30)
Israeli0%(20)
Latvian0%(20)
Slovene0%(20)
Macedonian0%(15)
Syrian0%(12)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
85.3%
−0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 85.9% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married38.9%(16,351)
Married52.7%(22,171)
Widowed1.9%(811)
Divorced6.5%(2,740)
Women 15+
Never married32.6%(14,360)
Married49.7%(21,897)
Widowed7.9%(3,485)
Divorced9.8%(4,335)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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SAN MATEO VS
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SAN MATEO VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in San Mateo, California?
San Mateo, California has about 85,486 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in San Mateo, California?
The typical household in San Mateo, California earns about $42,894 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is San Mateo, California expensive?
In San Mateo, California, the median home is worth about $348,800, and the typical rent is about $788 a month.
How educated are people in San Mateo, California?
About 30.2% of adults age 25 and over in San Mateo, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in San Mateo, California?
About 6.2% of people in San Mateo, California live below the federal poverty line.
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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024