San Mateo County, CA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 37.41, -122.37.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 99th pct · 5th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 100th pct · 1st of 58 California counties · median $494,569
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median $1,441,170
- 68th pct · 979th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 91st pct · 6th of 58 California counties · median +0.4%
- 50th pct · 3rd of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median +4.4%
- 99th pct · 6th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 97th pct · 2nd of 48 California counties · median $2,448
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median $3,865
- 97th pct · 68th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 82nd pct · 11th of 58 California counties · median 74,865
- 50th pct · 3rd of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median 413,139
- 99th pct · 2nd of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 100th pct · 1st of 58 California counties · median $1,206
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median $2,142
- 84th pct · 474th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 28th pct · 42nd of 58 California counties · median 7.2
- 0th pct · 5th of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median 8.2
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $1.6 m (Sep 2026), +4.4% over one year, +7.6% over five
- 99th pct · 5th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 100th pct · 1st of 58 California counties · median $494,569
- 100th pct · 1st of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median $1,441,170
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County, CA | $1.6 m · +4.4% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $3,993/mo (Sep 2026), +11.2% over one year; price-to-rent 33.0
- 99th pct · 6th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 97th pct · 2nd of 48 California counties · median $2,448
- 75th pct · 2nd of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median $3,865
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County, CA | $3,993/mo · +11.2% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $8,746 a month on $1,579,058 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $20,150 a month: 43.4% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $1.6 m × 80% = $1.3 m, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $8,746/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $4,650 × 52 / 12 = $20,150) = 43% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $1.6 m / ($4,650 × 52) = 6.5
- price-to-rent = $1.6 m / ($3,993 × 12) = 33.0
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
413,139 jobs at 33,391 employers (2026 Q1); +0.4% jobs and +6.3% average weekly wage over the year
- 97th pct · 68th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 82nd pct · 11th of 58 California counties · median 74,865
- 50th pct · 3rd of 5 counties in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro · median 413,139
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County, CA | 413,139 jobs · $4,650/wk · +0.4% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 64,531 | $6,789 | 2.26 | -4.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 51,138 | $2,170 | 0.82 | +5.7% |
| Information | 42,486 | $16,242 | 5.58 | +5.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 38,368 | $855 | 1.03 | +3.6% |
| Retail trade | 27,567 | $1,090 | 0.68 | -3.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 25,459 | $1,731 | 1.46 | -0.5% |
| Manufacturing | 20,904 | $6,396 | 0.63 | +0.3% |
| Administrative and waste services | 20,623 | $1,822 | 0.88 | -2.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 16,141 | $9,548 | 0.96 | +3.2% |
| Construction | 15,314 | $2,061 | 0.71 | -4.3% |
| Other services | 13,646 | $1,363 | 1.11 | -2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 12,241 | $4,597 | 0.77 | -7.4% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
No drought class at this point (USDM covers the United States only)
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
Surface water layer not loaded
Sites found: 0, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
Surface water layer not loaded
Sites found: 0, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
No USGS monitoring wells within 75 km (or above 1,500 km)
Sites found: 0, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$38.9 bn in deposits at 143 offices of 30 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,607, moderately concentrated. $5.1 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $3.9 bn, contracts $880.6 m), $12,257 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $9.5 bn · 24.4% share · 24 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $9.0 bn · 23.2% share · 23 offices | |
| Bank of America, National Association | $7.1 bn · 18.3% share · 17 offices | |
| San Mateo, CA | $5.1 bn FY2026 · $12,257/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $3.6 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $9,480,359,000 | 24.4% | 24 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $9,025,567,000 | 23.2% | 23 |
| Bank of America, National Association | $7,129,994,000 | 18.3% | 17 |
| Citibank, National Association | $2,973,000,000 | 7.6% | 10 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | $2,254,648,000 | 5.8% | 13 |
| Valley National Bank | $2,014,740,000 | 5.2% | 1 |
| East West Bank | $1,106,029,000 | 2.8% | 3 |
| Tri Counties Bank | $905,460,000 | 2.3% | 8 |
| EverBank, National Association | $482,875,000 | 1.2% | 3 |
| BMO Bank National Association | $459,715,000 | 1.2% | 7 |
Deposit concentration is 1,607 across 29 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 29 banks with deposits in the county = 24.4² + 23.2² + 18.3² + … (26 more) = 1,607
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $3,269,652,699 |
| Department of Energy | $462,063,247 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $386,326,722 |
| Department of Transportation | $205,532,354 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $201,059,870 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $169,338,831 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $166,766,911 |
| Department of Defense | $102,845,645 |
| Department of Education | $48,749,913 |
| Department of the Interior | $8,615,257 |
| National Science Foundation | $8,097,948 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $6,646,044 |
That is $12,257 per covered job, against 413,139 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $5.1 bn / 413,139 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $12,257
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
San Mateo County, CA: 24 findings, 4 at a watch level and 20 noted
watchSan Mateo County, CA's price-to-rent ratio of 33.0 ranks 9th of 1,358 US counties, a watch level here: price-to-rent in the top tenth of US counties (position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: priceToRent percentile = 99.41046425939572 >= 90
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the counties that published both ZHVI and ZORI this month; not an official level
watchSan Mateo County, CA's price-to-rent ratio is 33.0, a watch level here: typical home value worth 25 or more years of typical rent (typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: priceToRent = 32.95186192872027 >= 25
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
typical home value / (typical rent × 12), Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchSan Mateo County, CA's typical asking rent is +11.2% against a year earlier, a watch level here: typical asking rent at least 8 percent above a year ago (arithmetic on Zillow ZORI; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- test: rent.yoyPct = 11.245753962903875 >= 8
arithmetic on Zillow ZORI; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
watchSan Mateo County, CA's years of wages of 6.5 scores 85 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 28 across California counties, a gap of 56 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 56 = |85 across US counties - 28 across California counties|
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteSan Mateo County, CA's average weekly wage was 6.3% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +6.3 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
Read all 12 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.