Population 6,727 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown San Mateo
Household size in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.05 | 2.57 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.26 | 2.68 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.76 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.13 | 2.69 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | +0.12 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Downtown San Mateo are small: just 2.13 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has crept up from 2.05 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Downtown San Mateo has the smallest households of any San Mateo neighborhood.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.4 | 39.5 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.9 | 39.8 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.0 | 39.2 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.1 | 39.2 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.4 | −0.3 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Downtown San Mateo are younger than 41.1 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in San Mateo as a whole, where the median age is 39.2. The median age has dropped from 44.4 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 6.9% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 8.3% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 7.9% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 8.9% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +2.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Downtown San Mateo than nationally: 9.7%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across San Mateo. The single-parent share has risen 5.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Downtown San Mateo
Renters in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.9% | 44.1% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 63.7% | 46.3% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.7% | 44.8% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 52.1% | 49.4% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | +5.2 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown San Mateo: 52.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 38.0% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share is down 4.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 6.9% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 5.5% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Downtown San Mateo as nationally: 9.7%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in San Mateo overall (7.4%). Vacancy has edged up 1.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1962 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1963 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1964 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1966 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Downtown San Mateo is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in San Mateo as a whole, where the median home dates to 1966. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the east has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,469 | $1,569 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,691 | $1,698 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,507 | $2,577 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,278 | $3,100 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,809 | +$1,531 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Downtown San Mateo runs $3,278 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,809 a month since 2006–10, up 123%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 34.4% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the west; the highest are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Downtown San Mateo
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.5% | 43.6% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.8% | 45.9% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.8% | 54.5% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.6% | 56.6% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.1 pts | +13.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Downtown San Mateo is highly educated: more than half of adults 25 and older (55.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 10.1 points, as it has nationally. Among San Mateo's 11 neighborhoods, though, only two have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.0% | 88.6% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.3% | 89.2% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.8% | 90.0% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.7% | 90.0% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +1.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Downtown San Mateo is above the national rate: 92.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 8.6 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Downtown San Mateo
| Period | Downtown San Mateo | San Mateo | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 5.2% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 4.6% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown San Mateo has been low: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Of San Mateo's 11 neighborhoods, only two have lower unemployment. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Downtown San Mateo compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown San Mateo | 2.13 | 41.1 | 9.7% | 52.1% | 9.7% | 1970 | $3,278 | 55.6% | 92.7% | 2.9% |
| Baywood-Aragon | 2.36 | 42.8 | 6.5% | 45.0% | 10.8% | 1952 | $3,299 | 75.7% | 99.6% | 2.0% |
| Haywood Park | 2.36 | 40.0 | 5.2% | 52.7% | 6.1% | 1970 | $3,117 | 59.4% | 91.2% | 3.6% |
| East San Mateo | 3.23 | 41.0 | 5.8% | 30.1% | 3.4% | 1957 | $3,329 | 38.9% | 84.8% | 3.8% |
| North Central San Francisco | 3.06 | 31.8 | 17.5% | 65.5% | 7.0% | 1962 | $2,682 | 47.2% | 82.9% | 4.3% |
| Shoreview | 2.26 | 40.2 | 12.4% | 46.5% | 5.0% | 1973 | $3,241 | 63.6% | 91.3% | 1.1% |
| Beresford | 2.54 | 43.0 | 4.8% | 38.6% | 7.3% | 1964 | $3,110 | 66.8% | 95.2% | 6.9% |
| Downtown Burlingame | 1.96 | 39.6 | 1.8% | 77.2% | 13.4% | 1966 | $2,516 | 61.9% | 92.8% | 7.4% |
| Hillsdale | 2.66 | 37.6 | 8.5% | 54.8% | 8.7% | 1975 | $3,148 | 60.7% | 93.3% | 5.3% |
| Marina Lagoon | 2.48 | 39.3 | 4.5% | 68.7% | 10.2% | 1980 | $3,294 | 61.1% | 90.8% | 8.6% |
| Sugerloaf | 2.75 | 41.7 | 10.1% | 40.0% | 10.1% | 1962 | $3,132 | 56.6% | 90.2% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: South West, Hartford, CT · Hutton Park, West Orange, NJ · Locks, Chicago, IL · Logan, Ann Arbor, MI · Long Meadow Farms, Richmond, TX · Marconi Plaza-Packer Park, Philadelphia, PA · Milton Upper Mills, Milton, MA · North East, Pasadena, CA · North Main, Greenville, SC · Oakland, Chicago, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Downtown San Mateo. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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