Housing and tax tradeoff: San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare San Mateo vs Irvine on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 3 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
San MateoIrvine
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 104,165 | 256,927 |
| Center Elevation | 43 ft(13 m) | 56 ft(17 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $1,603,625 | $1,510,682 |
| Median Rent | $3,411 | $3,471 |
| Median Income | $149,152 | $122,948 |
| Rent Burden | 27% | 34% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 339 days/yr | 347 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 65°F | 73°F |
| Avg. Low | 52°F | 55°F |
| Comfort Score | 93/100Excellent | 96/100Excellent |
| Temp Swing | 18°F | 19°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 20"(51 cm) | 17"(43 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 412024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 | Typical: 482024 modeled avg · 4 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | N/A | 45 |
| Transit Score | 50 | 34 |
| Safety Score | 72 / 100 | 85 / 100 |
| School Rating | 6.5/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 75%Cable: 100% | Fiber: 44%Cable: 88% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 38.1 years | 33.8 years |
| College Educated | 58% | 70% |
| Remote Workers | 20% | 23% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in San Mateo. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Irvine. One featured slot per city |
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