Signals
Lafayette
San Mateo
Opportunity
60 · Top 43%
vs67 · Top 28%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
23 · Bottom 17%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 16%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Access
97 · Top 21%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
75 · Top 18%
vs68 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Lafayette | San Mateo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,285 | 103,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $228,250 | $153,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $123,402 | $84,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,683/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 | $2,892 | $3,077 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.1% | 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 | 79.0% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 2.9% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 88°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.1" | 19.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.5 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.7 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.05 | 20.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 5.4% | 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
Lafayette
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
San Mateo
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Lafayette, CA · San Mateo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology