Population 12,202 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Half Moon Bay: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Half Moon Bay
Household size in Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.71 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.78 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.02 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Half Moon Bay average 2.78 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. The San Francisco area as a whole looks much the same. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the east.
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 Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.7 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.7 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.6 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.0 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Half Moon Bay skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 41.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Half Moon Bay: 7.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The picture is much the same across the San Francisco area.
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 Half Moon Bay
Renters in Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.2% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.6% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.3% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Half Moon Bay own their homes; 25.3% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 39.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is down 2.1 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 Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Half Moon Bay is close to the national rate: 9.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the San Francisco area as a whole (7.5%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 5.6 points, 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 Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Half Moon Bay was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the San Francisco area overall, where the median home dates to 1968. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,560 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,722 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,007 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,491 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$931 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Half Moon Bay pays $2,491 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the wider San Francisco area ($2,666). Rent has climbed $931 a month since 2006–10, up 60%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 29.1% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Half Moon Bay
Bachelor's degrees in Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.8% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 52.3% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.9% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 53.3% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Half Moon Bay: 53.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 8.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.0% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.8% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.2% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Half Moon Bay have finished high school (91.8%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Half Moon Bay
| Period | Half Moon Bay | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Half Moon Bay has been low: just 2.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people, only nine have lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 4.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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).
Half Moon Bay compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Moon Bay | 2.78 | 47.6 | 7.9% | 25.3% | 9.7% | 1981 | $2,491 | 53.3% | 91.8% | 2.3% |
| Miramar | 3.22 | 44.3 | 5.5% | 32.8% | 4.5% | 1981 | $2,937 | 55.2% | 90.1% | 5.0% |
| El Granada | 2.46 | 47.9 | 16.8% | 16.2% | 3.7% | 1983 | $2,199 | 53.0% | 91.3% | 5.6% |
| Moss Beach | 2.90 | 45.2 | 7.6% | 0.8% | 19.5% | 1970 | $3,061 | 48.7% | 75.6% | 0.1% |
| Montara | 2.82 | 53.7 | 14.7% | 21.5% | 17.7% | 1975 | $3,038 | 63.9% | 94.3% | 9.9% |
| Highlands-Baywood Park | 3.19 | 43.8 | 0.8% | 9.9% | 3.5% | 1963 | $3,501 | 84.3% | 98.7% | 2.3% |
| Hillsborough | 3.05 | 47.0 | 6.9% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 1965 | $3,419 | 82.0% | 98.7% | 6.3% |
| Pedro Valley | 2.82 | 46.0 | 5.0% | 24.5% | 17.2% | 1970 | $3,453 | 43.1% | 93.0% | 0.0% |
| Belmont | 2.61 | 40.9 | 5.3% | 44.5% | 8.8% | 1965 | $2,949 | 69.9% | 95.5% | 6.6% |
| Burlingame | 2.51 | 41.7 | 6.9% | 50.9% | 11.0% | 1956 | $2,806 | 65.1% | 94.7% | 5.6% |
| Millbrae Meadows | 2.54 | 55.7 | 2.4% | 4.4% | 8.5% | 1972 | $3,501 | 56.9% | 96.3% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Woodland Park, NJ · Bangor, PA · Banta, CA · Barboursville, WV · Bay Minette, AL · Blanchard, OK · Williamston, SC · Wills Point, TX · Windsor Locks, CT · Winnetka, 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 Half Moon Bay. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.