Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The typical home is worth about $1.1 million, 8.4 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Overall it grades B−, ranked 180th of 841 in California. It is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $156K. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Brisbane’s July high is 70°F, below both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Brisbane is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns. Southern Pacific Railroad Bayshore Roundhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Brisbane beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
4,282 counted in 2010 and 4,851 in 2020; an estimated 4,656 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 4.5%, after 13.3% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Brisbane is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 2%), so the B− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,003 in 1970, 4,851 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2010 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brisbane. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw8 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
in town Park & preserveOyster Point Marina/Park
Big draw7 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw9 mi LandmarkLombard StreetAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Oyster Point Marina/Park: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brisbane, 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 Brisbane.
Brisbane reports less crime than Daly City or any other graded neighbor, draws workers from San Francisco and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
6,769 jobs are based in Brisbane, 3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 34.5% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Brisbane for work: only 6% work in town. The average trip to work in Brisbane is 34 minutes. The top destinations are San Francisco (36%), South San Francisco (9%) and Oakland (3%).
| Brisbane | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $156,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Brisbane Elementary school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 207 | A− |
| Lipman MiddleTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 161 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 6.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 2,376 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brisbane’s, it is less healthy than 58%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
29% of Brisbane adults sleep under 7 hours. Brisbane beats the California average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 23% of Brisbane adults have obesity.
| Brisbane | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Brisbane | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.8% | 14.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical value, about $1.15M, is 9% below its May 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $8,654, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Brisbane home is worth about $1,147,000, up 3.2% in a year, 51% above the California typical home. Brisbane’s median rent is $2,574 a month.
| Brisbane | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,574 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
Since 1982, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brisbane.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 44.5°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 69.6°.
Brisbane has warm winters and cool summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Crime runs higher than in most U.S. towns, but its C+ tops all 5 graded towns on its borders; Daly City (C) comes closest. Reported crimes fell from 110 to 46 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Only 10 of the 437 California towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Brisbane. Within California, it does better than 66% of towns.
| Brisbane | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Brisbane | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brisbane Community Park | 0.4 mi | 3 |
| 2. Costaños Canyon Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
| 3. Firth Canyon | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
28 within 15 miles of the center of Brisbane
About 8 of every 100 Brisbane residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Brisbane’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in California, United States
Brisbane (pron. BRIZ-bayn) is a small city in San Mateo County, California, located on the lower slopes of the San Bruno Mountain. The city is on the northeastern edge of San Mateo County, located immediately south of the San Francisco city limits on the San Francisco Bay. The population was 4,851 as of the 2020 census. Brisbane is called "The City of Stars" because of a holiday tradition dating back to 1939. At the start of the Christmas/Hanukkah season, many residents and business owners place large, illuminated stars, some as big as 10 feet (3.0 m) or more in diameter, on the downhill sides of homes and offices throughout Brisbane. Many of the stars are kept up all year.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Brisbane.
It grades higher overall than all 5 graded towns on its borders; South San Francisco (B−) comes closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | #180 | B− | D− | C+ | B+ | A |
| Daly City | #254 | C+ | D− | C | B | A− |
| San Francisco | #308 | C+ | D− | D | B+ | A |
| South San Francisco | #204 | B− | D− | C | B+ | A− |
| Alameda | #221 | B− | D− | D | A | A |
| Oakland | #604 | D | D | D− | C | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brisbane grades B− overall, better than 53% of U.S. towns and #180 of 841 in California. It grades A for health, C+ for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 66% 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−.
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