San Mateo County, CA

County

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2024 Population

742,340

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

40.9

0.739% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

6.71%

3.3% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$158,855

1.83% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$1.56M

4.36% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

393,458

0.432% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in San Mateo County, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

85.1% of the residents in San Mateo County, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in San Mateo County, CA are Skyline College (1,182 degrees awarded in 2023), College of San Mateo (1,070 degrees), and Canada College (634 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in San Mateo County, CA was $1.56M, and the homeownership rate was 58.5%.

Most people in San Mateo County, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.4 minutes. The average car ownership in San Mateo County, CA was 2 cars per household.

San Mateo County, CA borders Alameda County, CA, San Francisco County, CA, Santa Clara County, CA, and Santa Cruz County, CA.

About the photo: San Mateo Bridge at Sunrise

Photo by John Loo

United States California San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Population & Diversity

San Mateo County, CA is home to a population of 742k people, from which 85.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 35.7% of San Mateo County, CA residents were born outside of the country (265k people).

In 2024, there were 1.12 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (258k people) in San Mateo County, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 230k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 81.6k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

85.1%

2024 Citizenship

85.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 85.1% of San Mateo County, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in San Mateo County, CA was 85.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in San Mateo County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in San Mateo County, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
258k ± 1.13k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
230k ± 1.82k
Other (Hispanic)
81.6k ± 3.67k

24.9%

Hispanic Population

185k people

24.9% of the people in San Mateo County, CA are hispanic (185k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in San Mateo County, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
Philippines
824,246 ± 22,054 people
China
687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

Foreign-Born Population

35.7%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

265k people

35.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

265k people

As of 2024, 35.7% of San Mateo County, CA residents (265k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in San Mateo County, CA was 35.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in San Mateo County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6,349 ± 655
Gulf War (2001-)
3,060 ± 454
Gulf War (1990s)
1,751 ± 368

San Mateo County, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.07 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in San Mateo County, CA.

Economy

The economy of San Mateo County, CA employs 393k people. In 2024, the largest industries in San Mateo County, CA were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (68,410 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (51,272 people), and Retail Trade (33,301 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($200,200), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($158,214), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($152,661).

Employment

Occupations

393k

2024 Value

± 5,061

−0.432%

1 Year decline

± 1.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Mateo County, CA declined at a rate of −0.432%, from 395k employees to 393k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in San Mateo County, CA, are Management Occupations (59,815 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (34,624 people), and Computer & Mathematical Occupations (32,606 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of San Mateo County, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

393k

2024 Value

± 5,061

−0.432%

1 Year decline

± 1.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Mateo County, CA declined at a rate of −0.432%, from 395k employees to 393k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in San Mateo County, CA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (68,410 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (51,272 people), and Retail Trade (33,301 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of San Mateo County, CA, though some of these residents may live in San Mateo County, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$86,820

Median earning men ± $1,834

$72,603

Median earning women ± $1,558

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($207,354), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($146,129), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($146,023).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($182,353), Manufacturing ($112,125), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($108,706).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

2,340
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,340
Health Care and Social Assistance
1,223
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$34.7M
Information
$10.3M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$7.24M
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for San Mateo County, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in San Mateo County, CA awarded 3,697 degrees. The student population of San Mateo County, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 12,090 male students and 14,551 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in San Mateo County, CA are Hispanic or Latino (1,365 and 38.7%), Asian (899 and 25.5%), White (702 and 19.9%), and Two or More Races (223 and 6.33%).

The largest universities in San Mateo County, CA by number of degrees awarded are Skyline College (1,182 and 32%), College of San Mateo (1,070 and 28.9%), and Canada College (634 and 17.1%).

The most popular majors in San Mateo County, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (501 and 13.6%), General Business Administration & Management (301 and 8.14%), and General Psychology (223 and 6.03%).

The median tuition costs in San Mateo County, CA are $32,991 for private four year colleges, and $1,288 and $11,340 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in San Mateo County, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 67.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 8.63%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 26,641 (45.4% men and 54.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 26,641 students enrolled in San Mateo County, CA, 45.4% men and 54.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 9,951 records, of which 57.6% were women and 42.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
189 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
167 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
253 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in San Mateo County, CA was General Psychology with 189 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in San Mateo County, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Skyline College
1,182 degrees awarded
College of San Mateo
1,070 degrees awarded
Canada College
634 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Skyline College with 1,182 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,441 men were awarded degrees from institutions in San Mateo County, CA, which is 0.639 times less than the 2,256 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 1,365 degrees mean that there were 1.52 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 899 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($32,991) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($880) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,971) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in San Mateo County, CA was $1.56M in 2024, which is 4.69 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $1.49M to $1.56M, a 4.36% increase. The homeownership rate in San Mateo County, CA is 58.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in San Mateo County, CA have an average commute time of 26.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in San Mateo County, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 23.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in San Mateo County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.27%.

Housing

Property

$1.56M

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,159

$154,607

Median Property Taxes

±$2,413

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In San Mateo County, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in San Mateo County, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

58.5%

Homeownership

2024

69.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 58.5% of the housing units in San Mateo County, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 59.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in San Mateo County, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$158,855

Median Household Income

± $2,851

264k

Number of Households

± 3,861

In 2024, the median household income of the 264k households in San Mateo County, CA grew to $158,855 from the previous year's value of $156,000.

The following chart displays the households in San Mateo County, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for San Mateo County, CA is from California.

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (56.7%)
Worked At Home (24.3%)
Carpooled (8.72%)

In 2024, 56.7% of workers in San Mateo County, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (24.3%) and those who carpooled to work (8.72%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

26.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in San Mateo County, CA have a longer commute time (26.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.63% of the workforce in San Mateo County, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in San Mateo County, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in San Mateo County, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in San Mateo County, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 23.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in San Mateo County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.27%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

6.71% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in San Mateo County, CA (49.4k out of 736k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in San Mateo County, CA is Hispanic, followed by White and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 7.1% of the children was living in poverty in San Mateo County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 209 in San Mateo County, CA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 43.4 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

96.2% of the population of San Mateo County, CA has health coverage, with 58.7% on employee plans, 12.8% on Medicaid, 12.2% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 0.346% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in San Mateo County, CA see 918 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (918 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 862 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 206 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

918 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in San Mateo County, CA

Primary care physicians in San Mateo County, CA see an average of 918 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (918 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in San Mateo County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.8% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 41.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.8%

Uninsured

58.7%

Employer Coverage

12.8%

Medicaid

12.2%

Medicare

12.1%

Non-Group

0.346%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in San Mateo County, CA declined by 3.56% from 3.94% to 3.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in San Mateo County, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 26.1 in San Mateo County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in San Mateo County, CA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 21.4% in San Mateo County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in San Mateo County, CA.