San Mateo vs Redwood City
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $1,618,700 in San Mateo and $1,801,700 in Redwood City.
Side by side
| San Mateo, CA | Redwood City, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 103,337 | 82,178 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.2% | -2.5% |
| People per square mile | 8,516 | 4,250 |
| Median age | 38.3 | 37.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58% | 54% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $153,504 | $157,814 |
| Median home value | $1,618,700 | $1,801,700 |
| Home value to income | 10.5× | 11.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $3,077 | $2,968 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 115.6 | 115.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 194.7 | 194.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $86,700 | $86,700 |
| Homeowners | 50% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.1 | 24.3 |
| Work from home | 25% | 27% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.6% | 4.1% |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 6.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 58° / 45° | 59° / 41° |
| July high / low | 73° / 55° | 81° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 20 in | 19 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 4 | 18 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 6 |
| Comfortable months | 9 | 9 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.2 | 99.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | -0.3% | -0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +17.5% | +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: San Mateo: March to November. Redwood City: March to November.
Full monthly tables: San Mateo weather by month and Redwood City weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $86,700 in San Mateo and $86,700 in Redwood City. Moving from San Mateo to Redwood City, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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