Burlingame, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Burlingame

San Mateo County · San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley · population 30,885

Burlingame, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Burlingame, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Burlingame stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.3% in the last year.

Median home $2,797,065
1-year +5.3%
5-yr CAGR +3.4%
vs 5-yr peak -1.1%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-05$2797k$1638k$2072k$2506k$2941k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
52/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$3,492/mo$2,597$3,152$3,707202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent118126100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 66.8
Rent

At a 66.8 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Burlingame for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
76 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
55 · w22%
Distance from peak
84 · w18%
Population growth
39 · w16%
Rent YoY
71 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
56 · w10%
Long thesis

Burlingame has held up across the cycle: home values at $2,797,065 with +3.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Burlingame's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Burlingame

Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California, with an estimated population of 30,885. It anchors the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. The median home value in Burlingame is $2,797,065 as of 2026-04, up 5.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Burlingame average $3,492 per month, up 4.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Quiet strength: +5.3% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently -1.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
●Premium territory: $2,797,065 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.

About Burlingame (Wikipedia)

Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 31,386.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for San Mateo County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. San Mateo County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Burlingame

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Burlingame Hills$3,503,581+7.5%

Cities like Burlingame

Menlo Park, CA66 · RisingMillbrae, CA68 · RisingCorte Madera, CA59 · StableMill Valley, CA58 · Stable

Run the numbers for Burlingame

ToolCan I afford Burlingame?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Burlingame rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Burlingame to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolBurlingame cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Burlingame listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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