San Bruno 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
San Bruno
San Mateo
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
23 · Bottom 10%
vs31 · Bottom 19%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 30%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
45 · Bottom 7%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
71 · Top 27%
vs68 · Top 33%
Measured values
| Metric | San Bruno | San Mateo | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,307 | 103,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $141,272 | $153,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $64,768 | $84,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,708/sq mi | 8,497/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,207,500 | $1,618,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,773 | $3,077 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.1% | 49.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.9% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.2% | 57.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 8.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 79 | 98 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.8% | -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 | 3 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.1 min | 28.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.91 | 20.71 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.5% | 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
San Bruno
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
San Mateo
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: San Bruno, CA · San Mateo, CA · How this is calculated: methodology