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

Name: Vacancy rate in San Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA is 6.4% (±1.6 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.4% (±0.3 points).

2,746 (±400) homes, 6.4% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In San Mateo, the rental vacancy rate went from 5.2% in 2015–2019 to 6.4% in 2020–2024 (+1.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 6.4% (±1.6 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.4% (±0.3 points)
Vacant homes: 2,746 (±400)

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

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	San Mateo	San Mateo County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	6.4% (±1.6 points)	8.5% (±0.7 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.4% (±0.3 points)	0.7% (±0.2 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	2,746 (±400)	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 Mateo, the rental vacancy rate is lower than in San Mateo County (8.5%).

It is also higher than in California (4.2%).

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

Rental vacancy rate in places near San Mateo

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Mateo
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
San Mateo	—	6.4% (±1.6 points)	—
Hillsborough	2.6 mi	3.7% (±6.0 points)	Not measurably different
Baywood Park	2.7 mi	0.0% (±44.2 points)	Not measurably different
Foster City	3.3 mi	6.4% (±2.6 points)	Not measurably different
Belmont	3.3 mi	7.9% (±3.6 points)	Not measurably different
Highlands	3.4 mi	19.9% (±18.8 points)	Not measurably different
Burlingame	3.5 mi	10.3% (±2.9 points)	Higher
San Carlos	4.8 mi	8.0% (±5.1 points)	Not measurably different
Millbrae	5.7 mi	5.9% (±3.6 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Burlingame, CA (10.3%).

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
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)
17 (tie)	San Mateo	6.4% (±1.6 points)
19	Millbrae	5.9% (±3.6 points)
20	Pacifica	4.6% (±2.9 points)
21	Hillsborough	3.7% (±6.0 points)
22	Brisbane	1.3% (±2.6 points)
23 (tie)	Atherton	0.0% (±14.2 points)
23 (tie)	Half Moon Bay	0.0% (±3.6 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.

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Questions about San Mateo

Is it hard to find a rental in San Mateo?

The rental vacancy rate in San Mateo, CA is 6.4% (±1.6 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 Mateo tighter than it was?

In San Mateo, the rental vacancy rate went from 5.2% in 2015–2019 to 6.4% in 2020–2024 (+1.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in San Mateo?

An estimated 2,746 (±400) housing units, 6.4% 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 Mateo city, California (place:68252, 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.