Anaheim vs San Mateo
The short version
- Anaheim is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the San Mateo area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $831,200 in Anaheim and $1,618,700 in San Mateo.
- Households earn more in San Mateo ($153,504 vs $95,227 median).
- Anaheim has the warmer winter: January highs of 69°F vs 58°F.
- Anaheim has more scorching days: 39 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 4.
Side by side
| Anaheim, CA | San Mateo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 341,008 | 103,337 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.7% | -2.2% |
| People per square mile | 6,782 | 8,516 |
| Median age | 36.2 | 38.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 58% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $95,227 | $153,504 |
| Median home value | $831,200 | $1,618,700 |
| Home value to income | 8.7× | 10.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,175 | $3,077 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 115.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 194.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $86,700 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.4 | 26.1 |
| Work from home | 11% | 25% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% | 8.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 69° / 46° | 58° / 45° |
| July high / low | 84° / 66° | 73° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 12 in | 20 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 39 | 4 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 11 | 9 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | -0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +17.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Anaheim: September to July. San Mateo: March to November.
Full monthly tables: Anaheim weather by month and San Mateo weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Anaheim and $86,700 in San Mateo. Moving from Anaheim to San Mateo, you would need about $76,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Anaheim and San Mateo
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Anaheim and San Mateo.
Which would you pick?
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