Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 28,752, settled in 1854.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Belmont grades B+ overall, 68th among California's 841 graded towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 98% of the country. Its schools outperform 96% of the state's and the median household earns $205K. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $2.3 million, 16.6 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Belmont, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Belmont is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. Belmont is home to Notre Dame de Namur University.
Where Belmont beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Nesbit Elementary | K–8 | 566 |
| Cipriani Elementary | K–5 | 471 |
| Central Elementary | K–5 | 437 |
10.8% of the town is conserved land, across 12 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Belmont is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
William C. Ralston House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 202 in 1880, 28,335 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Belmont. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw18 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
3 mi MuseumFiloliAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Filoli: Sukuru, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Belmont, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Belmont.
Belmont has schools in the top 5% of California, has less no health insurance than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 16.6 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $2.26M) costs more against local pay than in 94% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
The median rent in Belmont is $2,875 a month. Typical home values rose 5.5% in the year to September 2026. 55% of Belmont households own their home.
| Belmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,875 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 55% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #18 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.26M.
Its public schools are run by the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary school district. Three of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ralston IntermediateLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,082 | A+ |
| Carlmont HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,360 | – |
| Central ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 437 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Belmont’s trail density is 4.7 miles per square mile. Hidden Canyon Park, at 190 acres with 6.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 22 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hidden Canyon Park | 6.6 mi | 190 |
| 2. Waterdog Lake Open Space | 3.9 mi | 116 |
| 3. Twin Pines Park | 0.4 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 4.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 959 U.S. towns with household incomes like Belmont’s, it is healthier than 67%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
27% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Belmont. Belmont beats the California average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 6.9% of adults smoke cigarettes in Belmont.
| Belmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Belmont | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.4% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Belmont.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
33.7% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Belmont for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Belmont grew to 6,198 in 2023, 786 more than in 2013. The top destinations are San Francisco (12%), San Mateo (8%) and Redwood City (7%).
| Belmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 34% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $205,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 41.5°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 76.2°.
Belmont has warm winters and pleasant summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Belmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 76°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 42°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within California, it does better than 77% of towns.
| Belmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
12 within 15 miles of the center of Belmont
About 6 of every 100 Belmont residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
5 notable people were born in Belmont.
City in California, United States
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the San Francisco Peninsula about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose, on the northern edge of California’s Silicon Valley. It was originally part of Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas, is named. The city was incorporated in 1926. Its population was 28,335 at the 2020 census. Ralston Hall is a historic landmark built by Bank of California founder William Chapman Ralston on the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, and is also home to Notre Dame High School. It was built around a villa formerly owned by Count Leonetto Cipriani, an …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Belmont.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | #68 | B+ | D− | B− | A+ | A+ |
| San Carlos | #4 | A | D | — | A+ | A+ |
| San Mateo | #141 | B | D− | C | A | A |
| Redwood City | #160 | B | D− | C− | A | A |
| Foster City | #19 | A | D− | B+ | A | A+ |
San Carlos reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Belmont with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Belmont grades B+ overall, better than 74% of U.S. towns and #68 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, B− for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 77% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
5 notable people were born here, including Amaechi Igwe and Sidney Edward Mezes.
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