Cost of Living
per year
per month
How San Mateo's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in San Mateo?
Your $100,000 in San Mateo has the same purchasing power as $66,230 in the average US city. You'd need $33,770 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of San Mateo's cost index of 151, sorted by closest match.
People moving to San Mateo usually have at least one specific reason. Most of them line up with what the data shows: above-average earnings, not just for a few people, on the calmer side of the national distribution, plus 4 more things worth knowing. Here's what's actually on the table.
Median household income in San Mateo is $149,152 — well above the US median of roughly $75k. It's a city where high-paying industries (tech, finance, professional services) cluster, and the income distribution tilts noticeably upward relative to most of the country.
San Mateo reports about 2,676 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — a step below the US average of around 3,500. The citywide number averages over neighborhoods that can vary a lot, but the headline number is friendlier than most American cities of comparable size.
San Mateo earns a Walk Score of 79/100 — above the US median, with denser neighborhoods scoring higher than the citywide aggregate suggests. A car is still useful for longer trips, but everyday life works on foot for a lot of residents.
San Mateo's Bike Score is 89/100 — the kind of number you only get when a city has built real bike infrastructure (protected lanes, connected routes, drivers who expect cyclists). For commuting or just for getting around, the bike is a serious option here, not a hobby.
San Mateo's air quality index averages about 44 — comfortably in the EPA's "good" range. No daily ritual of checking the AQI before going for a run, no smoky-day plans, no surprise asthma flare-ups for the kids. The kind of background condition you notice mostly by its absence.
58% of adults 25 and over in San Mateo hold a bachelor's degree or higher — meaningfully above the US average of around 36%. That correlates with the things you'd expect: stronger schools, more white-collar employers, more bookstores than the population alone would predict.
Reasons are pulled from San Mateo's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Now and then. San Mateo's winters are cool rather than truly cold — about 43°F on average — so most of the precipitation falls as rain. A snowy morning happens a few times a season; sustained accumulation is rare.
Mild on the cold side. San Mateo's winter average of about 43°F is the kind of weather where you want a jacket but the heating bill is manageable. Snow is rare, frost is occasional, and the lawn never really browns out.
Pleasantly warm. San Mateo's summer averages around 72°F — comfortable for outdoor evenings, hot enough on peak days to warrant AC but mild compared to the Sun Belt.
Zone 9, give or take a half-zone. San Mateo's typical winter low puts it in that band on the USDA Hardiness map, which is what nurseries label plants against. Use Zone 9 as your starting filter; the USDA's interactive map is more precise for borderline cases.
San Mateo sits roughly 10 feet (3 m) above sea level — basically at the waterline. Storm surge, king tides, and long-term sea-level rise are real considerations for any coastal property here.
Average for an American city. San Mateo's reported crime rate of about 2,676 per 100,000 residents sits roughly in line with the US baseline of ~3,500. Like anywhere else, the citywide number masks real differences between neighborhoods — worth looking at specific areas before deciding.
Yes — San Mateo is one of the more expensive places to live in the US. The cost-of-living index is 151, about 51% above the national average. Housing is the dominant factor, and salaries here have to be high to compensate.
Yes — San Mateo is one of the more walkable US cities. A Walk Score of 79/100 means most daily errands can be done on foot in most neighborhoods. Transit Score is 45 out of 100. Many residents go car-free comfortably.
Roughly $105,693 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in San Mateo runs about $2,971/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.