COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS
San Mateo County
California · 649,623 residents · 448.606 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
The short version
San Mateo County is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $46,437. Population has declined 8% since 2000. 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $340,800. Poverty is rare here, at 6.3% of residents. Households here earn about 30% more than the California median.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 35.0
US median: 33.0
More educated
31% 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
2024742K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.8%(43,947)
5 to 96.3%(40,616)
10 to 145.5%(35,594)
15 to 195.7%(36,716)
20 to 246.8%(43,897)
25 to 3419.1%(124,161)
35 to 4417.1%(110,792)
45 to 5411.6%(75,511)
55 to 648.9%(58,081)
65 to 747.4%(47,830)
75 to 843.9%(25,028)
85 and over1.1%(7,450)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$46,437
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $70,819 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$340,800
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $449,900 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in San Mateo County on RentDataNow
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic72%(467,853)
Black5.3%(34,580)
Hispanic / Latino17.4%(113,090)
Asian16.8%(109,309)
Other5.8%(37,881)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
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)
Paraguayan0%(48)
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)
Bangladeshi0%(139)
Kazakh0%(134)
Malaysian0%(101)
Laotian0%(44)
Singaporean0%(39)
Okinawan0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0.6%(4,322)
Fijian0.4%(2,765)
Samoan0.4%(2,606)
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,927)
Chamorro0.1%(721)
Marshallese0%(97)
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)
Subsaharan African0.3%(1,875)
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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(80)
Barbadian0%(21)
Guyanese0%(9)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
84.1%
−1.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 85.3% 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 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
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Compare San Mateo County to nearby counties
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Income$129,367+179%
Home value$1,090,100+220%
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SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
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SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
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SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in San Mateo County, California?
San Mateo County, California has about 649,623 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in San Mateo County, California?
The typical household in San Mateo County, California earns about $46,437 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 $340,800, and the typical rent is about $769 a month.
How educated are people in San Mateo County, California?
About 31.3% 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 6.3% of people in San Mateo County, California live below the federal poverty line.
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174 census tracts (top 20 by population)
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All counties in CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024