City comparison
Redwood City, CA is about 10 miles (10 km) from San Mateo, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 8 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 Redwood City, CA to San Mateo, CA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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 83,077 in Redwood City — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Redwood City covers about 19 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 | Redwood City | San Mateo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,899/mo | $2,971/mo | 2.5% higher in San Mateo |
| Median home value | $1,777,600 | $1,508,900 | 17.8% higher in Redwood City |
| Median household income | $145,620 | $149,152 | 2.4% higher in San Mateo |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 108.1 | 0.6% higher in San Mateo |
| Utilities index | 165.0 | 168.3 | 2.0% higher in San Mateo |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 106.1 | 1.2% higher in San Mateo |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 106.0 | 1.2% 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 Redwood City, you'd need $99,670 in San Mateo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Mateo, CA is about 0.3% cheaper overall than Redwood City, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Redwood City than in San Mateo. If you earn $80,000 in Redwood City, you'd need about $79,736 in San Mateo to keep the same standard of living.