2021 Best Places to Live in San Mateo County

Burlingame

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 4.34 out of 5  38 reviews

Current Resident: Burlingame is home! I moved here with my mom and dad when I was 2 1/2. My two little sisters were born here, this is home! Everywhere you go - you will see a friendly smile and friends who you grew up either in school or from the local softball team. Burlingame is clean, the people are kind and the weather is usually beautiful! Of course, I am so excited for August when I go away to school, but I will truly miss my town. I already cannot wait to come back to visit, because I know that I will be welcomed home with so many hugs and smiles!...Read 38 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 30,576 Population

Foster City

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 4.38 out of 5  29 reviews

Current Resident: Foster City is a great place for families and kids. I grew up in Foster City and there were many recreational activities for us all the time. Every year, the city would hold an art and wine festival which was really popular. There are also fourth of July fireworks as well. The public schools, however, are not the best as some are run-down like the middle school, but one of the elementary schools, Foster City Elementary School got a makeover a couple of years back, and it has helped brighten the space. Overall, Foster City is definitely a fantastic place if you are looking to raise a family...Read 29 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 33,997 Population

San Carlos

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 4.11 out of 5  61 reviews

Current Resident: San Carlos is blessed with great weather throughout the year. All of North, South and Easy bay are easily accessible making our daily commute very easy. The neighborhood has quaint downtown full of restaurants with excellent food and ambience. Even the new apartments being built by the Laurel street and the Caltrain station are aesthetically pleasing. SC is full of Redwood and other large trees. Edgewood park is close by and great for hikes and picnics. Trader Joe's, Lucky, Home depot, TJ Max, etc are close by. Access to highly rated schools, downtown book shops, SC Youth center makes it perfect for kids too!...Read 61 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• 30,154 Population

Hillsborough

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 4.43 out of 5  7 reviews

Current Resident: I love the fact that Hillsborough is such a friendly place to live. All of the people are connected through a social media site called Nextdoor, and they people who post on the site are very active when it comes to warning their neighbors about stormy weather or recent break-ins...Read 7 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 11,447 Population

Dolphin

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 2,422 Population

Belmont

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 4.12 out of 5  60 reviews

Current Resident: Overall, living in Belmont has been great. It is a great get away from the hustle and bustle of big cities like San Francisco or LA. And if you grow tired of the slow life, it's only a 30-40 minute drive to SF or Santa Cruz. For the most part, the schools and teachers really seem to care about the student's well being and scholastic success, and the students themselves are diverse and friendly. I have been a part of the Belmont education system since elementary school to high school, and there have been very little to no instances of bullying. Cyber-bullying is probably more prominent than physical, but it is still a relatively uncommon occurence, and school admins take swift action when it is reported to them. While the benefits far outweigh the cons, one of my biggest issue with Belmont is cost to live here. Affordability is a big one, and one that you'd think would drive people to the suburbs. However the exorbitant rates seen in NYC and SF seem to continue in Belmont...Read 60 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 27,097 Population

Menlo Park

• Suburb of San Jose, CA
• Rating 4.11 out of 5  71 reviews

Current Resident: Menlo Park is one of the most inviting communities. It is surround by many fun and lively locations like downtown Palo Alto and Redwood City, while still remaining a quiet and cozy place to live. Being in Menlo Park, I have been able to attend one of the best public high schools and participate and some of the best high school athletics. The amount of opportunities available in this area are endless. Lastly, being around such successful people in the Silicon Valley gives our students a boost of motivation to work hard and succeed in their lives after education, making Menlo Park an academically rigorous and competitive place...Read 71 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• 34,138 Population

West Menlo Park

• Suburb of San Jose, CA
• Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Current Resident: I want to see a lot more sights to see more nature. Sometimes I try and go for walks but the experience ends up to be too noisy. I guess that’s something that happens with people and cars normally though. There are a couple parks here and there but nothing too exciting. There is a good amount of small businesses which is nice to go grab a bagel a milkshake. The people are mostly very friendly. One things I don’t like is the amount of trash I see it’s not a lot but more than I’d like to see...Read 2 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 4,160 Population

Steinberger

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA
• Rating 3.75 out of 5  8 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• 3,990 Population

Atherton

• Suburb of San Jose, CA
• Rating 3.91 out of 5  11 reviews

Niche User: I attend Menlo College in Atherton. I love the area. It is so peaceful and safe. I love how diverse Atherton is and how nice the people are. Right below San Francisco and right next to Standford so there is a lot of things to do and enjoy. Only downside is that the cost of living is very high...Read 11 Reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• 7,168 Population

Millbrae

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 3.85 out of 5  68 reviews

Current Resident: I moved around for many years and lived all throughout the Bay Area Peninsula—San Mateo County and Contra Costa County—and after 5 years, I came back to live in Millbrae. It's safe, clean, and an amazing environment, especially for kids. It's a great middle ground if you don't want to be too close to the city, nor do you want to be too far. Love it here!...Read 68 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• 22,625 Population

Marlin

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA
• Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Niche User: I love living here. It is really nice and quiet, and a nice nieghborhood.Read 1 Review

• grade A

• grade A+

• 3,321 Population

Lido

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA
• Rating 3.5 out of 5  6 reviews

Niche User: There are no very large and public crimes. There have been issues of people not locking doors and being stolen from, but otherwise, nothing.Read 6 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• 8,045 Population

San Mateo

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 4.27 out of 5  62 reviews

Current Resident: 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...Read 62 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• 104,333 Population

Shearwater

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA

• grade A

• grade A+

• 2,553 Population

Portola Valley

• Suburb of San Jose, CA
• Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Current Resident: I am a current high-school senior who moved to Portola Valley during middle school. Quaint little town in the midst of the bustling Bay Area. Not too far from Palo Alto or Redwood City. A couple overpriced but nice neighborhood markets and a local farmer's market. Cute library, local field and playground. Lots of families. Local gas station is insanely expensive. Local school is alright. Very little diversity given the area's high cost of living (but in all honesty what place in the Bay Area doesn't have a high cost of living?) and it is predominantly white. Local middle school was not terrible in my opinion, there were some good teachers although the administration was bizarre and school community again lacking in diversity. Not much to do unless you drive somewhere or like biking, hiking, or riding horses...Read 1 Review

• grade A

• grade A

• 4,592 Population

Ladera

• Suburb of San Jose, CA
• Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Current Resident: It is a very nice environment to live in and the people are very friendly, however, there is not much to do within walking distance.Read 2 Reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• 1,607 Population

Arlington

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA
• Rating 3.6 out of 5  5 reviews

Niche User: This area is a safe and family friendly neighborhood.Read 5 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B

• 20,703 Population

Downtown

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA
• Rating 3 out of 5  1 review

• grade A minus

• grade B

• 4,920 Population

Woodside

• Suburb of San Jose, CA
• Rating 4.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Current Resident: Woodside is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Mixed in with the spectacular northern California woodlands, but still close to San Francisco, San Jose, and other bustling cities in between, Woodside is the perfect combination. However, it is absurdly expensive...Read 3 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B+

• 5,542 Population

Redwood City

• Town in California
• Rating 4.08 out of 5  109 reviews

Current Resident: I have been living in Redwood City for almost my entire life and so much have changed here. If you love living in an urban area then this city is perfect! Downtown Redwood City is transforming into a city life with new tech companies coming in which adds more jobs and opportunities for anyone interested in the tech field. The weather here is not extreme like other cities, it never stays too hot nor too cold and that is because the city is surrounded by beautiful greenery. There are also many places to visit such as historic buildings that are located in downtown Redwood City. Lastly, the housing here is great as there are many beautiful houses here in a very safe neighborhood. However, cities are not perfect, the main problem with the city is the heavy traffic and the increased cost of living...Read 109 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B+

• 85,784 Population

Sequoia

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA
• Rating 3.75 out of 5  4 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B

• 6,869 Population

San Bruno

• Suburb of San Francisco, CA
• Rating 4.06 out of 5  85 reviews

Current Resident: San Bruno is a tight community that likes to be involved and help others. It is a safe and quiet area. It has many types of transportation available with cal train and Bart being quite close. In Downtown there are many diverse places to eat with amazing food. Here you can also find produce markets, bakeries,ice-cream shops and fun places. Local businesses also support their local schools in various ways. Nearby there are also multiple parks to have some fun! The weather here is also very nice. It is not to hot nor to cold, it has a balanced mix of the two...Read 85 Reviews

• grade A minus

• grade B+

• 43,083 Population

Centennial

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA

• grade A minus

• grade B

• 6,557 Population

Selby

• Neighborhood in Redwood City, CA

• grade A minus

• grade B minus

• 9,728 Population