What is the rental vacancy rate in San Carlos, CA?

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

The rental vacancy rate in San Carlos, CA is 8.0% (±5.1 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.8% (±0.8 points).

626 (±243) homes, 5.4% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In San Carlos, the rental vacancy rate went from 4.5% in 2015–2019 to 8.0% in 2020–2024 (+3.5 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 8.0% (±5.1 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.8% (±0.8 points)
Vacant homes: 626 (±243)

Vacancy in San Carlos against San Mateo County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	San Carlos	San Mateo County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	8.0% (±5.1 points)	8.5% (±0.7 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.8% (±0.8 points)	0.7% (±0.2 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	626 (±243)	22,765 (±1,282)	1,096,644 (±18,928)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In San Carlos, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from San Mateo County (8.5%).

It is not measurably different from California (4.2%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near San Carlos

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Carlos
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
San Carlos	—	8.0% (±5.1 points)	—
Belmont	1.8 mi	7.9% (±3.6 points)	Not measurably different
Emerald Lake Hills	2.3 mi	0.0% (±25.6 points)	Not measurably different
Redwood City	3.2 mi	8.6% (±1.9 points)	Not measurably different
North Fair Oaks	3.9 mi	7.4% (±4.1 points)	Not measurably different
Highlands	4.5 mi	19.9% (±18.8 points)	Not measurably different
Baywood Park	4.6 mi	0.0% (±44.2 points)	Not measurably different
Foster City	4.6 mi	6.4% (±2.6 points)	Not measurably different
Atherton	4.7 mi	0.0% (±14.2 points)	Not measurably different

None of the nearby places differs measurably from this one on this figure.

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

Rental vacancy rate across San Mateo County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
5	Woodside	17.9% (±19.7 points)
6	Daly City	13.9% (±1.8 points)
7	East Palo Alto	11.4% (±3.2 points)
8	San Bruno	10.7% (±3.5 points)
9	Burlingame	10.3% (±2.9 points)
10	Redwood City	8.6% (±1.9 points)
11	San Carlos	8.0% (±5.1 points)
12	Belmont	7.9% (±3.6 points)
13	Menlo Park	7.7% (±3.7 points)
14	North Fair Oaks	7.4% (±4.1 points)
15	South San Francisco	7.3% (±1.9 points)
16	Colma	6.5% (±7.2 points)
17 (tie)	Foster City	6.4% (±2.6 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), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in San Carlos

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near San Carlos, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for San Carlos beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near San Carlos, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about San Carlos

Is it hard to find a rental in San Carlos?

The rental vacancy rate in San Carlos, CA is 8.0% (±5.1 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in San Carlos tighter than it was?

In San Carlos, the rental vacancy rate went from 4.5% in 2015–2019 to 8.0% in 2020–2024 (+3.5 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in San Carlos?

An estimated 626 (±243) housing units, 5.4% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

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 DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

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.