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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

San Mateo County

California · 764,442 residents · 449 sq mi
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The short version

San Mateo County is home to 764,442 people in California. The typical home is worth $1,163,100, having more than doubled since 2000. That is roughly 63% ahead of the California median. Median rent is $2,435 a month. The foreign-born share is 35%. This is an unusually credentialed place: 52% of adults have a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.9
US median: 38.8
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
764,442
+8%since 2000
from 707,161 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.9
+8%since 2000
from 36.8 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
449 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
638K673K709K744K779K19902000201020202024San Mateo County
2024742K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.2%(40,001)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(42,577)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.8%(44,663)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.6%(42,995)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(41,689)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.9%(113,875)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4414.6%(111,523)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413.5%(102,999)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.8%(97,804)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.4%(71,857)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.9%(37,438)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.2%(17,021)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$128,091
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $70,819 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$64,450
+79%since 2000
from $36,045 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
70.9%
+15.5 ptssince 2009
from 55.5% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
6.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2000
from 5.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information8.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services7.8%
US avg: 6.6%
Retail trade7.4%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade5.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food4.6%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,163,100
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $449,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,435
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,144 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
56.5%
−4.9 ptssince 2000
from 61.4% in 2000
43.5% rent
Persons per household
2.87 people
+5%since 2009
from 2.74 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
9.1
−3%since 2009
from 9.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic36.1%(275,902)
Black1.9%(14,701)
Hispanic / Latino25%(191,386)
Asian29.8%(227,783)
Other6.1%(46,909)
Segregation Score
40
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
Mexican14.2%(108,508)
Salvadoran3.1%(23,517)
South American1.6%(11,991)
Guatemalan1.4%(11,008)
Nicaraguan1.2%(9,105)
Peruvian0.8%(6,384)
Spaniard0.5%(4,057)
Puerto Rican0.5%(3,795)
Colombian0.2%(1,739)
Cuban0.2%(1,647)
Argentine0.1%(1,093)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.1%(1,076)
Chilean0.1%(905)
Ecuadorian0.1%(801)
Bolivian0.1%(600)
Panamanian0.1%(534)
Costa Rican0.1%(423)
Dominican0%(350)
Venezuelan0%(271)
Uruguayan0%(85)
Asian origin
Chinese11.7%(89,204)
Filipino9.4%(72,118)
Asian Indian3.2%(24,733)
Japanese1.2%(9,025)
Korean0.9%(7,212)
Vietnamese0.6%(4,775)
Taiwanese0.3%(2,232)
Burmese0.3%(1,963)
Pakistani0.1%(1,103)
Thai0.1%(857)
Nepalese0.1%(769)
Indonesian0.1%(488)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0.1%(443)
Malaysian0%(316)
Cambodian0%(309)
Sri Lankan0%(224)
Mongolian0%(151)
Laotian0%(88)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0.7%(5,280)
Samoan0.4%(3,005)
Fijian0.3%(2,413)
Native Hawaiian0.2%(1,848)
Chamorro0.1%(876)
Ancestry
Irish7.1%(54,618)
German7%(53,230)
English5.5%(42,439)
Italian5.4%(41,270)
American2.4%(18,004)
French1.9%(14,266)
Polish1.4%(10,957)
Russian1.4%(10,933)
Scottish1.2%(9,558)
Swedish0.9%(7,003)
Norwegian0.9%(6,619)
Portuguese0.8%(6,504)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
British0.8%(6,157)
Greek0.7%(5,598)
Dutch0.7%(5,583)
Iranian0.7%(5,233)
Ukrainian0.5%(4,011)
Danish0.5%(3,736)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(3,316)
Welsh0.4%(2,796)
Swiss0.4%(2,780)
Czech0.3%(2,553)
Brazilian0.3%(2,416)
Palestinian0.3%(2,307)
Hungarian0.3%(2,300)
Armenian0.3%(2,164)
Canadian0.3%(2,148)
Austrian0.3%(2,104)
French Canadian0.2%(1,862)
West Indian0.2%(1,770)
Lebanese0.2%(1,589)
Turkish0.2%(1,463)
Finnish0.2%(1,373)
Croatian0.2%(1,349)
Romanian0.2%(1,334)
Lithuanian0.2%(1,262)
Arab0.2%(1,230)
Egyptian0.1%(1,091)
Belgian0.1%(1,003)
Jamaican0.1%(921)
Israeli0.1%(835)
Jordanian0.1%(744)
Serbian0.1%(723)
Nigerian0.1%(560)
Syrian0.1%(558)
Australian0.1%(476)
Bulgarian0.1%(451)
Latvian0.1%(399)
Slovak0.1%(383)
Iraqi0%(346)
Ethiopian0%(292)
Slovene0%(289)
Ghanaian0%(181)
Haitian0%(150)
Macedonian0%(141)
Moroccan0%(140)
Barbadian0%(102)
Guyanese0%(34)
Kenyan0%(30)
Somali0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
52.1%
+13.1 ptssince 2000
from 39.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
90.4%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 85.3% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
22.6%
+8.0 ptssince 2000
from 14.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.4 min
+59%since 2000
from 18.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
65.0%
−5.7 ptssince 2009
from 70.6% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.0%
−3.4 ptssince 2011
from 7.3% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
68.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2011
from 68.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
51.2%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 42.7% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Female
50.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Foreign born
35.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 33.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
3.8%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
96.1%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
88.0%
US average: 86.2%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.8%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
67.7%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.9%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
14.3%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
79.7%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
27.8%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)13.9%(3,245)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)12.1%(2,820)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era36.1%(8,416)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War11.6%(2,693)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II5.6%(1,304)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 23,314 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
Drill deeper

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Pop 826,079
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Pop 739,749
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Pop 1,167,873
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Head to head

Compare San Mateo County to nearby counties

SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Alameda County
Income$129,367+1%
Home value$1,090,100−6%
Population1,636,630+120%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Santa Cruz County
Income$111,093−13%
Home value$1,027,500−12%
Population258,852−65%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Santa Clara County
Income$164,281+28%
Home value$1,490,600+28%
Population1,914,391+157%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN MATEO COUNTY VS
Contra Costa County
Income$127,229−1%
Home value$866,800−25%
Population1,170,070+57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in San Mateo County, California?

San Mateo County, California has about 764,442 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in San Mateo County, California earns about $128,091 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 $1,163,100, and the typical rent is about $2,435 a month.

How educated are people in San Mateo County, California?

About 52.1% 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 6.2% 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 114,819 residents, a change of about 18 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 →