Carlsbad vs San Mateo
The short version
- Carlsbad is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 3% lower than in the San Mateo area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $1,257,000 in Carlsbad and $1,618,700 in San Mateo.
- Households earn more in San Mateo ($153,504 vs $142,748 median).
- Carlsbad has the warmer winter: January highs of 65°F vs 58°F.
Side by side
| Carlsbad, CA | San Mateo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 112,260 | 103,337 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.2% | -2.2% |
| People per square mile | 2,969 | 8,516 |
| Median age | 42.5 | 38.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62% | 58% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $142,748 | $153,504 |
| Median home value | $1,257,000 | $1,618,700 |
| Home value to income | 8.8× | 10.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,808 | $3,077 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.9 | 115.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 179.3 | 194.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,900 | $86,700 |
| Homeowners | 63% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.1 | 26.1 |
| Work from home | 32% | 25% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.5% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 8.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 65° / 48° | 58° / 45° |
| July high / low | 74° / 64° | 73° / 55° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 20 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 3 | 4 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 9 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 99.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 18% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +2.5% | -0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.8% | +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: Carlsbad: January to December. San Mateo: March to November.
Full monthly tables: Carlsbad 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 $83,900 in Carlsbad and $86,700 in San Mateo. Moving from Carlsbad to San Mateo, you would need about $77,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad and San Mateo.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.