What kinds of homes are in San Carlos, CA?

Name: Types of homes in San Carlos, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

San Carlos, CA has 11,627 (±358) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 2,148 homes per square mile of land.

66.8% are detached single-family houses.

3.7% are in buildings of two to four units.

25.1% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 11,627 (±358)
Detached houses: 66.8%
2–4 unit buildings: 3.7%
5+ unit buildings: 25.1%

Homes in San Carlos by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	San Carlos	San Mateo County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	66.8% (±2.4 points)	55.3%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	4.4% (±1.1 points)	8.7%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	1.0% (±0.6 points)	2.0%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	2.7% (±1.0 points)	4.0%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	7.2% (±1.9 points)	5.6%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	8.0% (±1.8 points)	6.1%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	9.9% (±1.8 points)	17.0%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.0% (±0.4 points)	1.1%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.4 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In San Carlos, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is lower than in San Mateo County (28.7%).

It is not measurably different from California (24.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near San Carlos

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Carlos
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
San Carlos	—	25.1% (±3.2 points)	—
Belmont	1.8 mi	38.3% (±4.9 points)	Higher
Emerald Lake Hills	2.3 mi	0.0% (±4.7 points)	Lower
Redwood City	3.2 mi	35.3% (±2.2 points)	Higher
North Fair Oaks	3.9 mi	18.0% (±4.1 points)	Lower
Highlands	4.5 mi	8.1% (±6.9 points)	Lower
Baywood Park	4.6 mi	0.0% (±11.8 points)	Lower
Foster City	4.6 mi	38.6% (±3.3 points)	Higher
Atherton	4.7 mi	0.0% (±2.8 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Emerald Lake Hills, CA (0.0%), North Fair Oaks, CA (18.0%), Highlands, CA (8.1%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Belmont, CA (38.3%), Redwood City, CA (35.3%), Foster City, CA (38.6%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across San Mateo County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
6	Redwood City	35.3% (±2.2 points)
7	East Palo Alto	33.5% (±4.4 points)
8	Millbrae	30.8% (±3.8 points)
9	San Bruno	30.6% (±3.2 points)
10	Menlo Park	27.8% (±3.3 points)
11	Daly City	25.7% (±1.8 points)
12	San Carlos	25.1% (±3.2 points)
13	South San Francisco	24.4% (±2.4 points)
14	North Fair Oaks	18.0% (±4.1 points)
15	Colma	17.9% (±12.6 points)
16	Pacifica	14.6% (±2.3 points)
17	Portola Valley	13.1% (±7.8 points)
18	La Honda	10.7% (±12.1 points)

Showing 13 of 31 places in San Mateo County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about San Carlos

How many homes are in San Carlos?

San Carlos, CA has an estimated 11,627 (±358) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in San Carlos houses or apartments?

66.8% are detached houses and 4.4% attached houses, while 28.8% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in San Carlos?

3.7% of homes in San Carlos are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Carlos city, California

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.