HomeCaliforniaSan Mateo County
San Mateo County, California: commercial real estate data.
San Mateo County, California had an estimated 742,893 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 764,659, across 448 square miles. County output reached $217.02 bn in 2024, 21,569 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 650 7(a) approvals worth $431.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
San Mateo County
How many people live in San Mateo County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024742,340
- Households264,419
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$158,855
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$2,922 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$1,559,600
- Home value to household income9.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher53.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree24.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over542,805
- Population under 18145,095
- Share under 1819.5 percent
- Population 65 and over132,242
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64465,003
- Civilian labor force413,189
- Unemployment rate4.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.2 percent
- Rank by population among California counties15th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included89th of 3,222
San Mateo County is the 15th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 9.8 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 19.5 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
San Mateo County
Is San Mateo County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024742,893
- Census 2020 base population764,659
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.85 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20248,626
- Births, 20247,176
- Deaths, 20244,996
- Natural change, 20242,180
- Net domestic migration, 2024-6,006
- Net international migration, 202412,450
- Total net migration, 20246,444
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-60,449
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2711th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.85 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
San Mateo County
Where are people moving to San Mateo County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving22,436
- People arriving, from those returns33,547
- Tax returns filed by households leaving27,181
- Net household movement-4,745
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.75 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-2.62 bn
- Average income of an arriving household$211,636
- Average income of a leaving household$271,247
- Largest single originSan Francisco County (4,913 households)
- Largest single destinationSanta Clara County (4,305 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County | 4,913 | 7,784 | $1.16 bn |
| Santa Clara County | 4,213 | 6,543 | $1.60 bn |
| Alameda County | 2,139 | 3,228 | $351.1 m |
| Los Angeles County | 955 | 1,289 | $126.7 m |
| Contra Costa County | 829 | 1,303 | $101.3 m |
| San Diego County | 415 | 567 | $51.4 m |
| Sacramento County | 369 | 537 | $28.8 m |
| King County | 338 | 460 | $69.4 m |
Households arriving report $59,611 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is San Francisco County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
San Mateo County
What is the San Mateo County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$217.02 bn
- County GDP, 2023$195.27 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202411.1 percent
- GDP change over five years42.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the California areas BEA publishes6th of 58
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes15th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$292,343
Output grew 11.1 percent in the latest year and 42.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
San Mateo County
Employment by industry in San Mateo County
- Covered employment, annual average416,422
- Establishments reporting31,186
- Average annual pay$196,441
- Average weekly wage$3,778
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment71,055
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$269,835
- Health care and social assistance, employment47,203
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$92,649
- Information, employment43,524
- Information, average annual pay$669,097
- Accommodation and food services, employment36,653
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$44,003
- Retail trade, employment29,358
- Transportation and warehousing, employment23,390
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 71,055 | 4,070 | $269,835 |
| Health care and social assistance | 47,203 | 9,392 | $92,649 |
| Information | 43,524 | 688 | $669,097 |
| Accommodation and food services | 36,653 | 2,060 | $44,003 |
| Retail trade | 29,358 | 1,751 | $57,015 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 23,390 | 592 | $87,011 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 21,577 | 1,252 | $91,507 |
| Manufacturing | 20,595 | 646 | $186,707 |
Professional, scientific and technical services is the largest private sector at 71,055 jobs, 17.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
San Mateo County
How many businesses are in San Mateo County?
- Establishments, all industries21,569
- Employment at those establishments477,938
- Annual payroll$87.65 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
San Mateo County
Building permits in San Mateo County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,088
- Declared construction value permitted$578.0 m
- Single family units authorized521
- Multifamily units authorized567
- Multifamily share of units52.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$531,229
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.1
Multifamily is 52.1 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
San Mateo County
SBA loans in San Mateo County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded650
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$431.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$663,628
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$31,530
- 90th percentile approval$1,990,100
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)6,569
- Jobs per approval10.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active86
- Distinct industries receiving approvals213
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms120
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter502
- Franchise loans69
- Franchise share of approvals10.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (46)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (115)
- 504 approvals recorded303
- 504 gross approval dollars$352.5 m
- Average 504 approval$1,163,350
- Median 504 approval$793,000
- Distinct CDCs active12
- 504 jobs per approval10.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.3
- Most active CDCMortgage Capital Development Corporation (110)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$783.9 m
The average approval of $663,628 sits well above the median of $300,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 18.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
San Mateo County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in San Mateo County
Do SBA loans in San Mateo County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded111
- Paid in full101
- Charged off10
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans9.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full101
- Status: Exempt from disclosure408
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Cancelled94
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed37
Of the 111 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
San Mateo County
SBA lending by place in San Mateo County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending28
- San Mateo, approvals108
- Redwood City, approvals91
- South San Francisco, approvals74
- San Carlos, approvals59
- Daly City, approvals52
- Burlingame, approvals43
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | 108 | $77,240,200 |
| Redwood City | 91 | $47,760,500 |
| South San Francisco | 74 | $50,433,600 |
| San Carlos | 59 | $51,712,500 |
| Daly City | 52 | $33,891,000 |
| Burlingame | 43 | $25,068,200 |
| San Bruno | 40 | $23,930,300 |
| Pacifica | 35 | $25,650,000 |
| 20 other borrower cities | 148 | $95,672,000 |
San Mateo accounts for 108 approvals against 91 in Redwood City. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
San Mateo County
How large is San Mateo County?
- Land area448 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties56th of 58
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south41.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land1,657
- Establishments per square mile48.15
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
San Mateo County
Flood risk in San Mateo County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community San Mateo County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 060311
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 8
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book21
- Of those, participating in the NFIP21
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class6
- Radon levels in San Mateo County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated San Mateo County (community 060311), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 8, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places San Mateo County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a San Mateo County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a San Mateo County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024742,340
- Households264,419
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$158,855
- Median age40.9
Common questions
San Mateo County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in San Mateo County, California?
The Census Bureau estimates 742,893 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 742,340, in 264,419 households, ranking 15th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is San Mateo County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.85 percent since the 2020 census base of 764,659, to 742,893 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 7,176 births against 4,996 deaths, with net migration of 6,444. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in San Mateo County?
$158,855. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $1,559,600, which is 9.8 times income, and median gross rent is $2,922 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in San Mateo County?
21,569 establishments, employing 477,938 people with an annual payroll of $87.65 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in San Mateo County?
Professional, scientific and technical services is the largest private sector at 71,055 jobs, 17.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 416,422 jobs at an average annual pay of $196,441, or $3,778 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in San Mateo County?
650 7(a) approvals totaling $431.4 m since FY2020, across 86 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 303 504 approvals worth $352.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in San Mateo County get paid back?
Of the 111 loans that have reached a final outcome, 101 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge-off rate of 9.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in San Mateo County?
1,088 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $578.0 m. Multifamily was 52.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for San Mateo County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to San Mateo County come from?
The largest single origin is San Francisco County, with 4,913 households. Arriving households report an average income of $211,636 against $271,247 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for San Mateo County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for San Mateo County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
San Mateo County
Cities and places in San Mateo.
33 Census places lie wholly or partly in San Mateo County. All 33 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | city | 103,105 | 108 | Wholly in this county |
| Daly City | city | 101,964 | 52 | Wholly in this county |
| Redwood City | city | 82,447 | 91 | Wholly in this county |
| South San Francisco | city | 64,305 | 74 | Wholly in this county |
| San Bruno | city | 42,307 | 40 | Wholly in this county |
| Pacifica | city | 37,261 | 35 | Wholly in this county |
| Foster City | city | 32,792 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Menlo Park | city | 32,727 | 30 | Wholly in this county |
| Burlingame | city | 30,525 | 43 | Wholly in this county |
| San Carlos | city | 29,614 | 59 | Wholly in this county |
| East Palo Alto | city | 29,069 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Belmont | city | 27,337 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Millbrae | city | 22,689 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| North Fair Oaks | CDP | 13,100 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Half Moon Bay | city | 11,391 | 24 | Wholly in this county |
| Hillsborough | town | 11,099 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Atherton | town | 6,993 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| El Granada | CDP | 5,232 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Woodside | town | 5,126 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Brisbane | city | 4,692 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Broadmoor | CDP | 4,586 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Portola Valley | town | 4,305 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Emerald Lake Hills | CDP | 4,235 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Menlo Park | CDP | 3,634 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Montara | CDP | 2,917 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Moss Beach | CDP | 2,683 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Highlands | CDP | 2,450 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Colma | town | 1,636 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Baywood Park | CDP | 1,580 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ladera | CDP | 1,297 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| La Honda | CDP | 1,269 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Pescadero | CDP | 691 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Loma Mar | CDP | 309 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 5 of the county's 650 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in San Mateo County, the largest being San Francisco (1), Palo Alto (1), Oakland (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby