Danville 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
Danville
San Mateo
Opportunity
59 · Top 44%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
65 · Bottom 27%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Access
96 · Top 31%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
74 · Top 20%
vs68 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Danville | San Mateo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,401 | 103,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $232,216 | $153,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $107,266 | $84,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,401/sq mi | 8,497/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,681,700 | $1,618,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,501 | $3,077 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 85.5% | 49.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 73.9% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.8% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 174 | 98 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.6% | -34.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.2" | 19.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.0 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.4 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.31 | 20.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 5.2% | 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
Danville
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
San Mateo
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Danville, CA · San Mateo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology