San Mateo receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Novato
San Mateo
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 40%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
17 · Bottom 5%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
37 · Bottom 3%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs68 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | Novato | San Mateo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,546 | 103,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $115,736 | $153,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,423 | $84,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,920/sq mi | 8,497/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,032,500 | $1,618,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,506 | $3,077 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 49.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.9% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 98 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.7% | -34.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 45°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 19.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.8 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.5 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.27 | 20.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.2% | 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
Novato
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, coastal flooding, inland flooding.
San Mateo
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Novato, CA · San Mateo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology