City comparison
Morgan Hill, CA is about 50 miles (80 km) from San Mateo, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 59 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Morgan Hill, CA to San Mateo, CA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
San Mateo has a population of 104,165, vs 45,291 in Morgan Hill — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Morgan Hill covers about 13 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for San Mateo.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Morgan Hill | San Mateo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,249/mo | $2,971/mo | 32.1% higher in San Mateo |
| Median home value | $1,066,800 | $1,508,900 | 41.4% higher in San Mateo |
| Median household income | $152,199 | $149,152 | 2.0% higher in Morgan Hill |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 108.1 | 2.9% higher in San Mateo |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 168.3 | 9.4% higher in San Mateo |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 106.1 | 5.4% higher in San Mateo |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 106.0 | 5.4% higher in San Mateo |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Morgan Hill, you'd need $99,394 in San Mateo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Mateo, CA is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Morgan Hill, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in Morgan Hill than in San Mateo. If you earn $80,000 in Morgan Hill, you'd need about $79,516 in San Mateo to keep the same standard of living.