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COUNTY

San Mateo County

California · 743,568 residents (2025 est.) · 449 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
The short version

San Mateo County is a county of 742,340 people in California. The typical home is worth $1,559,600, having roughly tripled since 2000. Households here earn about 60% more than in California as a whole. The foreign-born share is 36%. The median household earns $158,855, about 93% above the national median. Median rent is $2,922 a month.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $158,855, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
54% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 90%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about San Mateo County

What changed most since 1990

  • Asian share16.3% → 31.0% (+14.7 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
  • White share60.6% → 34.7% (−25.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree31.3% → 53.7% (+22.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 58 counties in California

  • 2nd in household income$158,855
  • 4th in share with a bachelor's degree53.7%
  • 1st in home value$1,559,600
  • 5th in diversity score89.4
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
742,340
+5%since 2000
from 707,161 in 2000
743,568 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,655 / sq mi
+5%since 2000
from 1,576 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
40.9
+11%since 2000
from 36.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
449 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
638K673K709K744K779K19902000201020202024San Mateo County
2024742K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(37,891)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(38,311)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.8%(42,694)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.6%(41,248)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(39,391)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.2%(105,649)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.7%(108,820)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.4%(99,644)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413%(96,450)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.1%(74,619)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.3%(39,418)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(18,205)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$158,855
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $70,819 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$84,288
+134%since 2000
from $36,045 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
75.8%
+20.3 ptssince 2009
from 55.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 5.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.497
+6%since 2010
from 0.467 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information8.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services6.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade5.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food4.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Public administration4.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,559,600
+90%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $449,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,922
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,144 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
58.5%
−3.0 ptssince 2000
from 61.4% in 2000
41.5% rent
Vacancy rate
7.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.76 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.74 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
28.3%
−13.6 ptssince 2009
from 41.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 45.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
9.8
+5%since 2009
from 9.3 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
88
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic49.8%(352,355)
Black3.4%(23,778)
Hispanic / Latino21.9%(154,708)
Asian19.8%(140,313)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic34.7%(257,595)
Black2%(14,709)
Hispanic / Latino24.9%(184,940)
Asian31%(230,413)
Other7.4%(54,683)
Diversity Score
89
+5%since 2009
from 85 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
38
−6%since 2020
from 40 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican14.4%(106,631)
Central American6.2%(46,282)
Salvadoran3%(22,557)
South American1.8%(13,462)
Guatemalan1.6%(12,183)
Nicaraguan1.1%(8,087)
Peruvian0.8%(5,793)
Puerto Rican0.6%(4,483)
Spaniard0.5%(3,659)
Colombian0.4%(3,204)
Honduran0.3%(2,142)
Cuban0.2%(1,447)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.2%(1,262)
Argentine0.1%(1,058)
Venezuelan0.1%(700)
Panamanian0.1%(666)
Bolivian0.1%(577)
Ecuadorian0.1%(522)
Costa Rican0.1%(413)
Dominican0%(211)
Uruguayan0%(174)
Asian origin
Chinese12.9%(95,682)
Filipino9%(66,869)
Asian Indian3.3%(24,382)
Japanese1.2%(8,866)
Korean1%(7,757)
Vietnamese0.6%(4,799)
Taiwanese0.5%(3,410)
Burmese0.4%(3,111)
Thai0.2%(1,410)
Pakistani0.2%(1,172)
Indonesian0.1%(852)
Cambodian0.1%(749)
+ 12 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0.1%(748)
Hmong0.1%(565)
Mongolian0.1%(451)
Sri Lankan0%(261)
Mien0%(152)
Uzbek0%(146)
Kazakh0%(134)
Malaysian0%(101)
Laotian0%(44)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0.6%(4,322)
Fijian0.4%(2,765)
Samoan0.4%(2,606)
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,927)
Chamorro0.1%(721)
Guamanian0%(38)
Ancestry
Irish6.6%(49,306)
English6%(44,674)
German6%(44,630)
Italian5%(37,107)
American2.8%(21,060)
French1.7%(12,471)
Arab1.3%(9,876)
Scottish1.3%(9,309)
Russian1.3%(9,307)
Polish1.2%(9,062)
Swedish0.8%(5,990)
Portuguese0.7%(5,538)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(5,525)
Iranian0.7%(5,061)
Dutch0.6%(4,726)
Greek0.6%(4,568)
British0.6%(4,367)
Ukrainian0.5%(4,044)
Danish0.4%(3,074)
Brazilian0.4%(3,007)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(2,661)
Hungarian0.3%(2,348)
Welsh0.3%(2,314)
Swiss0.3%(2,139)
Lebanese0.3%(2,122)
Armenian0.3%(1,869)
Czech0.3%(1,861)
Austrian0.2%(1,789)
Turkish0.2%(1,502)
Palestinian0.2%(1,460)
Canadian0.2%(1,426)
Egyptian0.2%(1,383)
French Canadian0.2%(1,274)
Romanian0.2%(1,248)
Croatian0.2%(1,193)
West Indian0.1%(1,077)
Lithuanian0.1%(1,057)
Israeli0.1%(816)
Syrian0.1%(789)
Jordanian0.1%(771)
Finnish0.1%(749)
Belgian0.1%(698)
Serbian0.1%(613)
Slovak0.1%(593)
Nigerian0.1%(500)
Iraqi0.1%(476)
Bulgarian0.1%(464)
Jamaican0.1%(455)
Moroccan0.1%(412)
Australian0.1%(398)
Ghanaian0%(214)
Latvian0%(196)
Haitian0%(186)
Slovene0%(169)
Macedonian0%(164)
Ethiopian0%(146)
Kenyan0%(138)
Barbadian0%(21)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
53.7%
+14.7 ptssince 2000
from 39.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.2%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 85.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
24.1%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 14.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.4 min
+43%since 2000
from 18.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
56.7%
−14.0 ptssince 2009
from 70.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.7%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
5.1%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
24.3%
+19.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 68.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 78.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
55.4%
+12.6 ptssince 2009
from 42.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Female
50.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Foreign born
35.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 33.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.9%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2012
from 7.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.8%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.7%
+7.4 ptssince 2017
from 88.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.7%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 96.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
54.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 53.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
17.6%
−2.1 ptssince 2016
from 19.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.5%(115,708)
Married54%(166,826)
Widowed2.3%(6,976)
Divorced6.3%(19,306)
Women 15+
Never married31.1%(97,841)
Married52.1%(163,880)
Widowed7.3%(22,999)
Divorced9.5%(29,908)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.8%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
66.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 67.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
78.0%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 79.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.2%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 27.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.6%(3,060)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.5%(2,523)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.6%(6,539)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War9.9%(1,722)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.1%(359)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 17,374 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

San Mateo County, decade by decade

San Mateo County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990649,623$111,452$817,94331.3%71.7
2000707,161$129,008$819,56339.0%82.6
2010718,451$123,211$1,128,99044.0%86.7
2020764,442$155,251$1,409,72252.1%89.3
2024742,340$158,855$1,559,60053.7%89.4

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to San Mateo County

San Francisco County
Pop 826,079
Norfolk County
Pop 739,749
Fairfax County
Pop 1,167,873
Western Connecticut Planning Region
Pop 640,482
Places similar to San Mateo County
Head to head

Compare San Mateo County to nearby counties

SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Alameda County
Income$129,367−19%
Home value$1,090,100−30%
Population1,636,630+120%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Santa Cruz County
Income$111,093−30%
Home value$1,027,500−34%
Population258,852−65%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Santa Clara County
Income$164,281+3%
Home value$1,490,600−4%
Population1,914,391+157%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Contra Costa County
Income$127,229−20%
Home value$866,800−44%
Population1,170,070+57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in San Mateo County, California?

San Mateo County, California has about 742,340 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in San Mateo County, California?

The typical household in San Mateo County, California earns about $158,855 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is San Mateo County, California expensive?

In San Mateo County, California, the median home is worth about $1,559,600, and the typical rent is about $2,922 a month.

How educated are people in San Mateo County, California?

About 53.7% of adults age 25 and over in San Mateo County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in San Mateo County, California?

About 6.7% of people in San Mateo County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has San Mateo County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, San Mateo County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 92,717 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

San Mateo County, California: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy