Should I Move To
San Mateo, California comes in at about 104,165 residents. Cost of living comes out very expensive — 51% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $2,971/mo, and the median household income is about $149,152. Overall, 60/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C+, putting it at #138 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 151 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very expensive territory. With median rent at $2,971/mo and median household income at $149,152, housing takes about 24% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $1,508,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect mild weather — summers near 72°F, winters around 43°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 19 inches annually. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Crime rates land roughly average for a US city of this size. Air quality reads good (AQI 44).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
On the families profile, San Mateo sits squarely in the middle. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
On the retirees profile, San Mateo sits squarely in the middle. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
San Mateo is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 47/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
On the young professionals profile, San Mateo sits squarely in the middle. It earns 65/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
San Mateo, California pulls a 60/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C+), currently ranked #138 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
San Mateo's cost-of-living index is 151 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very expensive band — 51% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,971/mo.
Mild — summer averages around 72°F, winter averages around 43°F, with about 19 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 79/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
San Mateo has about 104,165 residents, 58% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 38.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put San Mateo head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how San Mateo stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare San Mateo with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.