What kinds of homes are in San Mateo, CA?

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

San Mateo, CA has 42,641 (±790) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 3,514 homes per square mile of land.

41.6% are detached single-family houses.

6.5% are in buildings of two to four units.

42.1% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 42,641 (±790)
Detached houses: 41.6%
2–4 unit buildings: 6.5%
5+ unit buildings: 42.1%

Homes in San Mateo by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	San Mateo	San Mateo County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	41.6% (±1.5 points)	55.3%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	9.6% (±0.9 points)	8.7%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	2.2% (±0.6 points)	2.0%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	4.3% (±0.8 points)	4.0%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	8.0% (±1.3 points)	5.6%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	7.1% (±0.9 points)	6.1%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	27.0% (±1.6 points)	17.0%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.0% (±0.1 points)	1.1%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.2% (±0.2 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

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

It is also higher than in California (24.2%).

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

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

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Mateo
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
San Mateo	—	42.1% (±2.2 points)	—
Hillsborough	2.6 mi	0.0% (±1.9 points)	Lower
Baywood Park	2.7 mi	0.0% (±11.8 points)	Lower
Foster City	3.3 mi	38.6% (±3.3 points)	Not measurably different
Belmont	3.3 mi	38.3% (±4.9 points)	Not measurably different
Highlands	3.4 mi	8.1% (±6.9 points)	Lower
Burlingame	3.5 mi	43.5% (±4.0 points)	Not measurably different
San Carlos	4.8 mi	25.1% (±3.2 points)	Lower
Millbrae	5.7 mi	30.8% (±3.8 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Hillsborough, CA (0.0%), Baywood Park, CA (0.0%), Highlands, CA (8.1%).

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
1	Burlingame	43.5% (±4.0 points)
2	San Mateo	42.1% (±2.2 points)
3	Foster City	38.6% (±3.3 points)
4	Belmont	38.3% (±4.9 points)
5	Brisbane	36.5% (±12.9 points)
6	Redwood City	35.3% (±2.2 points)
7	East Palo Alto	33.5% (±4.4 points)
8	Millbrae	30.8% (±3.8 points)

Showing 8 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 Mateo

How many homes are in San Mateo?

San Mateo, CA has an estimated 42,641 (±790) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in San Mateo houses or apartments?

41.6% are detached houses and 9.6% attached houses, while 48.6% are in buildings of two or more units.

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

6.5% of homes in San Mateo 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 Mateo 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 Mateo city, California (place:68252, 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.