Belmont and San Mateo receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Belmont
San Mateo
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
28 · Bottom 14%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
55 · Bottom 15%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs68 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Belmont | San Mateo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,337 | 103,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $205,297 | $153,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $101,385 | $84,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,904/sq mi | 8,497/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,618,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,875 | $3,077 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.8% | 49.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.9% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 69.7% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 98 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 133.3% | -34.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 45°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.6" | 19.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.8 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.43 | 20.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 10.0% | 37.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Belmont
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
San Mateo
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Belmont, CA · San Mateo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology