Housing data for Half Moon Bay, CA
Half Moon Bay, CA has an estimated 11,391 residents and 4,473 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in San Mateo County.
28.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,433 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−11.2%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 11,391 (±34)
- Housing units
- 4,473 (±386)
- Households that rent
- 28.9%
- Median gross rent
- $2,433
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −11.2%
What stands out in Half Moon Bay
Rental vacancy rate: 0.0% (±3.6 points) in Half Moon Bay, lower than in San Mateo County (8.5%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 9.3% (±2.6 points) in Half Moon Bay, lower than in San Mateo County (28.7%).
Commuting by public transportation: 0.4% (±0.5 points) in Half Moon Bay, lower than in San Mateo County (5.1%).
Households that rent: 28.9% (±4.5 points) in Half Moon Bay, lower than in San Mateo County (41.5%).
Housing in Half Moon Bay at a glance
- Median rent: $2,433 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,193 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 40.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 28.9% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $157,884 median household income
- Home values: $1,549,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $4,000 or more median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $10,000 or more median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 9.3% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 66.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 51.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 75.3% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 29.3 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −11.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 15.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Half Moon Bay against San Mateo County, its state and the nation
| Half Moon Bay | San Mateo County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 11,391 (±34) | 742,340 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,473 (±386) | 287,184 (±144) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 28.9% (±4.5 points) | 41.5% (±0.7 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,433 (±$619) | $2,922 (±$40) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $157,884 (±$5,507) | $158,855 (±$2,851) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,549,500 (±$110,431) | $1,559,600 (±$16,159) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $10,000 or more | $9,519 (±$153) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 51.7% (±7.2 points) | 72.5% (±1.1 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 29.3 minutes (±2.5) | 26.4 minutes (±0.3) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 95.6% (±2.4 points) | 95.7% (±0.4 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 47.4 years (±4.0) | 40.9 years (±0.2) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Half Moon Bay covers 6.2 square miles of land, about 1,825 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Half Moon Bay has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 12,834 (±24) | 11,391 (±34) | −11.2% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 5,315 (±293) | 4,473 (±386) | −15.8% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $1,869 (±$553) | $2,433 (±$619) | +30.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $999,500 (±$79,774) | $1,549,500 (±$110,431) | +55.0% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $134,177 (±$16,408) | $157,884 (±$5,507) | +17.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 27.8% (±4.7 points) | 28.9% (±4.5 points) | +1.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.1% (±6.0 points) | 0.0% (±3.6 points) | −5.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in San Mateo County
Half Moon Bay has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for San Mateo County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for San Mateo County recorded 226 violent and 1,396 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Half Moon Bay
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94019 | 10% | 14,419 | $2,028 | $1,556,800 | $153,781 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Half Moon Bay
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Granada | 3.5 mi | — | $1,424,700 | 11.5% |
| Moss Beach | 4.5 mi | — | $1,123,100 | 1.0% |
| Montara | 6.3 mi | $3,032 | $1,580,700 | 21.8% |
| Highlands | 6.3 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 15.3% |
| Baywood Park | 6.9 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 10.3% |
| Hillsborough | 7.7 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 6.5% |
| Belmont | 8.6 mi | $2,875 | $2,000,000 or more | 45.2% |
| Millbrae | 9.3 mi | $3,272 | $1,934,900 | 39.2% |
Places in California most like Half Moon Bay
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente | $2,460 | $1,398,400 | $140,062 | 33.5% |
| Livermore | $2,677 | $1,105,600 | $160,775 | 28.0% |
| Newark | $2,776 | $1,142,800 | $169,064 | 30.6% |
| Encinitas | $2,886 | $1,646,800 | $162,229 | 33.5% |
| Poway | $2,301 | $1,034,800 | $148,359 | 24.8% |
| Scotts Valley | $2,491 | $1,105,700 | $143,750 | 26.4% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Half Moon Bay, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,574 | $3,003 | $3,697 | $4,832 | $5,439 |
HUD income limits for Half Moon Bay, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $44,150 | $73,550 | $117,700 |
| 2 people | $50,450 | $84,050 | $134,500 |
| 3 people | $56,750 | $94,550 | $151,300 |
| 4 people | $63,050 | $105,050 | $168,100 |
| 5 people | $68,100 | $113,500 | $181,550 |
| 6 people | $73,150 | $121,900 | $195,000 |
| 7 people | $78,200 | $130,300 | $208,450 |
| 8 people | $83,250 | $138,700 | $221,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $200,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Half Moon Bay
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Half Moon Bay beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Half Moon Bay, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Half Moon Bay, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Half Moon Bay
What is the average rent in Half Moon Bay, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Half Moon Bay is $2,433 (±$619) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a two-bedroom apartment in Half Moon Bay?
The median gross rent for a two-bedroom home in Half Moon Bay, CA is $2,193 (±$630) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Half Moon Bay rent-burdened?
40.0% of renting households in Half Moon Bay pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Half Moon Bay?
Half Moon Bay has an estimated 1,174 (±187) renting households, 28.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Half Moon Bay?
The median household income in Half Moon Bay is $157,884 (±$5,507) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Half Moon Bay, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,549,500 (±$110,431) for owner-occupied homes in Half Moon Bay (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Half Moon Bay growing?
In Half Moon Bay, the number of residents went from 12,834 in 2015–2019 to 11,391 in 2020–2024 (−11.2%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Half Moon Bay?
The ZIP code that covers Half Moon Bay is 94019.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 94019?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94019 is $2,028 (±$567) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Half Moon Bay city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Half Moon Bay city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Half Moon Bay city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Half Moon Bay city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Half Moon Bay city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Half Moon Bay city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Half Moon Bay city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Half Moon Bay city, California (place:31708, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .