Housing data for San Carlos, CA
San Carlos, CA has an estimated 29,614 residents and 11,627 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in San Mateo County.
32.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,854 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−1.8%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 29,614 (±46)
- Housing units
- 11,627 (±358)
- Households that rent
- 32.2%
- Median gross rent
- $2,854
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −1.8%
What stands out in San Carlos
Median household income: $237,470 (±$15,954) in San Carlos, higher than in San Mateo County ($158,855).
Working from home: 35.0% (±3.0 points) in San Carlos, higher than in San Mateo County (24.3%).
Households that rent: 32.2% (±2.8 points) in San Carlos, lower than in San Mateo County (41.5%).
Renters paying 30% or more of income: 37.8% (±7.7 points) in San Carlos, lower than in San Mateo County (48.4%).
- Income and affordability in San Carlos
- Commute and cars in San Carlos
- Renters and owners in San Carlos
- Rent burden in San Carlos
Housing in San Carlos at a glance
- Median rent: $2,854 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $3,286 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 37.8% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 32.2% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $237,470 median household income
- Home values: $2,000,000 or more 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: 25.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 61.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 76.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 8.0% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 73.2% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 24.6 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −1.8% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 20.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room
San Carlos against San Mateo County, its state and the nation
| San Carlos | San Mateo County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 29,614 (±46) | 742,340 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 11,627 (±358) | 287,184 (±144) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 32.2% (±2.8 points) | 41.5% (±0.7 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,854 (±$128) | $2,922 (±$40) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $237,470 (±$15,954) | $158,855 (±$2,851) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $2,000,000 or more | $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 | 76.2% (±4.3 points) | 72.5% (±1.1 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 24.6 minutes (±1.3) | 26.4 minutes (±0.3) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 98.5% (±0.6 points) | 95.7% (±0.4 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 41.7 years (±1.6) | 40.9 years (±0.2) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
San Carlos covers 5.4 square miles of land, about 5,472 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How San Carlos has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 30,154 (±53) | 29,614 (±46) | −1.8% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 11,689 (±239) | 11,627 (±358) | −0.5% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $2,321 (±$89) | $2,854 (±$128) | +23.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $182,083 (±$9,728) | $237,470 (±$15,954) | +30.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 27.6% (±2.1 points) | 32.2% (±2.8 points) | +4.6 percentage points | Measurable increase |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.5% (±2.4 points) | 8.0% (±5.1 points) | +3.5 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
San Carlos 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 San Carlos
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94070 | 88% | 30,447 | $2,854 | $2,000,000 or more | $240,074 |
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 San Carlos
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 1.8 mi | $2,875 | $2,000,000 or more | 45.2% |
| Emerald Lake Hills | 2.3 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 9.2% |
| Redwood City | 3.2 mi | $2,968 | $1,801,700 | 51.4% |
| North Fair Oaks | 3.9 mi | $2,314 | $1,276,900 | 52.3% |
| Highlands | 4.5 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 15.3% |
| Baywood Park | 4.6 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 10.3% |
| Foster City | 4.6 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,838,200 | 49.2% |
| Atherton | 4.7 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 12.4% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for San Carlos, 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 San Carlos, 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.
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Questions about San Carlos
What is the average rent in San Carlos, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in San Carlos is $2,854 (±$128) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in San Carlos?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in San Carlos, CA is $2,482 (±$130) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in San Carlos rent-burdened?
37.8% of renting households in San Carlos 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 San Carlos?
San Carlos has an estimated 3,537 (±321) renting households, 32.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in San Carlos?
The median household income in San Carlos is $237,470 (±$15,954) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in San Carlos, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $2,000,000 or more for owner-occupied homes in San Carlos (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is San Carlos growing?
In San Carlos, the number of residents went from 30,154 in 2015–2019 to 29,614 in 2020–2024 (−1.8%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in San Carlos?
The ZIP code that covers San Carlos is 94070.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 94070?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94070 is $2,854 (±$128) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos 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 San Carlos city, California (place:65070, 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 .