San Mateo
- Suburb of San Francisco, CA
Suburb
San Mateo
- grade AOverall Grade
- Suburb of San Francisco, CA
- Rating 4.27 out of 5 62 reviews
Report Card
- Public Schoolsgrade A+
- Crime & Safetygrade C+
- Housinggrade C
- Nightlifegrade A+
- Good for Familiesgrade A
- Diversitygrade A+
- Jobsgrade B
- Weathergrade A+
- Cost of Livinggrade D
- Health & Fitnessgrade A+
- Outdoor Activitiesgrade A
- Commutegrade A minus
editorial
About
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$1,098,400
National
$217,500Median Rent
$2,475
National
$1,062Area Feel
Urban Suburban Mix
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Map
San Mateo Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
grade C+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Assault142.4national 282.7
- Murder1.9national 6.1
- Rape42.4national 40.7
- Robbery64.1national 135.5
Property Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Burglary486.7national 500.1
- Theft1,436.5national 2,042.8
- Motor Vehicle Theft167.9national 284
Residents
Working in San Mateo
Jobs
grade B
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$124,842
National
$62,843Top Public Schools Serving San Mateo
Top Private Schools in San Mateo
- grade A+
Junipero Serra High School
- Rating 3.98 out of 5 319 reviews
- grade A minus
Fusion Academy San Mateo
- grade A+
Futures Academy - San Mateo
- Rating 3.67 out of 5 3 reviews
- grade A minus
Episcopal Day School of St. Matthew
- Rating 3.86 out of 5 14 reviews
- grade unavailable
St. Matthew Catholic School
- Rating 4 out of 5 1 review
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San Mateo Reviews
Rating 4.27 out of 5 62 reviews
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I've lived in San Mateo for most of my adult life. The city is super safe and with great weather yr round. Since San Mateo is the main city in the county, there are many jobs and things to do. Over the last 5 yrs, Silicon valley has moved up here and the city has become a big tech hub sandwiched between SF and Silicon valley. The city is predominantly white but with a growing Asian population due to the major tech and financial companies that reside here. The foodie scene is very diverse with some of the Bay Areas best Ramen shops located here. Make no mistake, this is a very expensive area and county, but its proximity to SF, the beaches and SFO, makes it a great place to live. There are really no bad areas where you can't walk alone at night and if there is crime, it's from the people in neighboring counties that come here to break in cars or houses. Downtown is very nice with a variety of restaurants and closed streets for outdoor eating. Schools are above average.
PROS: Vibrant downtown; most ethnicities of food found in city or area; multiplex theater; lots of shopping, including bookstores; good public transportation; great parks, with events including free concerts during summer and outdoor ice rink in winter; community college (CSM); multiple farmers markets; large diversity of people & cultures; beautiful weather; 3 great community theaters nearby: Hillbarn Theatre in Foster City and Broadway by the Bay and Redwood City Community Theater in Redwood City. CONS: Heavy traffic during morning & afternoon commutes, creating dangerous & rude drivers detouring themselves to smaller residential streets to avoid freeway & main arteries, posing safety hazards to pedestrians and bike riders; recent increase in auto break-ins, although this is peninsula-wide problem; VERY expensive rent & home prices ($2K+ for one-bedroom apartments); downtown could use more venues with live music and/or comedy acts.
San Mateo is a town that is divided between the rich and the less rich, making the town feel bigger than it is. The local government is really involved and cares about their community. They value transparency as well as the importance of fostering a safe community.