What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to San Mateo, CA, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, with an estimated population of 103,006. It anchors the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in San Mateo is $1,692,590 as of 2026-04, up 1.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.2% annual growth (-4.5% from the 5-year peak). Rents in San Mateo average $3,561 per month, up 4.8% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 54 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (+1.0% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- The data is the data: San Mateo has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.
- Data is sourced from public datasets (Zillow, US Census) with full citations on the methodology page.
Things to know first
- Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,692,590 with only +1.0% YoY. You're paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
- Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
More about San Mateo
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.