Population
San Mateo
103,555
Alameda
76,876
Median Income
San Mateo
$152,669
Alameda
$132,015
Home Value
San Mateo
$1,563,200
Alameda
$1,203,900
Rent
San Mateo
$3,079
Alameda
$2,394
Crime Rate
San Mateo
2.43
Alameda
3.17
Cost of Living
San Mateo
257.9
Alameda
247.5
Avg Temp
San Mateo
N/A
Alameda
N/A
Unemployment
San Mateo
4.3%
Alameda
5.0%
How Similar Are San Mateo & Alameda?
Alameda is San Mateo's #20 most similar city
4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
San Mateo
103,555
Alameda
76,876
San Mateo has a 26% larger population than Alameda.
Violent Crime
San Mateo
2.43
Alameda
3.17
Alameda has a 23% higher violent crime than San Mateo.
Property Crime
San Mateo
18.83
Alameda
49.14
Alameda's property crime is significantly higher than San Mateo's — 62% difference.
Political Leaning
San Mateo
23.2%
Alameda
21.0%
Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 9% difference.
Unemployment
San Mateo
4.3%
Alameda
5.0%
Alameda has a 15% higher unemployment than San Mateo.
Median Income
San Mateo
$152,669
Alameda
$132,015
San Mateo has a 14% higher median income than Alameda.
Home Values
San Mateo
$1,563,200
Alameda
$1,203,900
San Mateo has a 23% higher home values than Alameda.
Education
San Mateo
42.1%
Alameda
43.8%
Both cities have similar education — just a 4% difference.
Demographics
San Mateo
41.2%
Alameda
43.4%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 5% difference.
Cost of Living
San Mateo
257.9
Alameda
247.5
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 4% difference.
4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. San Mateo and Alameda share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
San Mateo
0
Alameda
Cost of Living & Affordability — Alameda leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDAlameda has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,385 vs $2,977 in San Mateo (25% lower). Alameda has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,912 vs $3,604 in San Mateo (24% lower). Alameda scores 150.9 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 166.7 in San Mateo.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSan Mateo has a median home value of $1,563,200 vs $1,203,900 in Alameda (30% higher). Alameda has a median rent of $2,394 vs $3,079 in San Mateo (29% lower). San Mateo has a vacancy rate of 6.3% compared to 7.2% in Alameda.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — San Mateo leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSan Mateo: 59,457 vs Alameda: 41,720 for labor force. Alameda has a work from home of 28.1% compared to 22.3% in San Mateo. San Mateo has a government sector of 46.7% compared to 40.4% in Alameda.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — San Mateo leads
Source: FBI UCRSan Mateo has a property crime clearance of 21.9% compared to 6.3% in Alameda. San Mateo has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 0.98 compared to 2.58 in Alameda. San Mateo has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 18.83 compared to 49.14 in Alameda.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Alameda leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauAlameda has a bachelor's degree or higher of 43.8% compared to 42.1% in San Mateo. Alameda has a high school diploma or higher of 51.6% compared to 51.0% in San Mateo.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSan Mateo has a population of 103,555, about 1.3x the size of Alameda (76,876). San Mateo skews younger with a median age of 38.0 vs 40.7.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
San Mateo
Alameda
Healthcare — San Mateo leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareSan Mateo: 4.8 vs Alameda: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5). San Mateo: 5 vs Alameda: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Alameda leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSAlameda has a bicycle of 2.5% compared to 0.7% in San Mateo. Alameda has a public transit of 12.2% compared to 6.1% in San Mateo. San Mateo has a drive alone of 58.5% compared to 46.7% in Alameda.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to San Mateo, CA
Compare San Mateo against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.