Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Burlingame’s strongest subject is health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 98% of the country. Taken together, its subjects give Burlingame a B+ overall, better than nearly two thirds of U.S. towns. That places it 108th of 841 in California. The drawback is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.8 million, 20.9 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. On history, just 49 of California’s 1,063 towns do better. 64% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in the town, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. On walkability, just 51 of California’s 1,063 towns do better. Burlingame's public schools beat 95% of California towns on state tests and graduation.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Burlingame beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Burlingame’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Burlingame is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,565 in 1910, 31,386 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers and 8 maps from 1896 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Burlingame. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw13 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
5 mi Park & preserveOyster Point Marina/Park
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's StadiumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, 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 · Oyster Point Marina/Park: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Burlingame, 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 Burlingame.
Burlingame has schools in the top 5% of California, draws workers from San Francisco and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 20.9 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $2.85M) costs more against local pay than in 97% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
The midpoint rent for Burlingame comes to $2,785 a month. Values rose 12% in the 12 months to September 2026. In Burlingame, 48% of households are owner-occupiers.
| Burlingame | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,785 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 48% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 44% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
That grade ranks #29 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. It comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.85M.
Its public schools are run by the Burlingame Elementary school district. Of its 14 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The 6 public schools in Burlingame teach 2,261 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlingame IntermediateLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,115 | A |
| Burlingame HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,583 | – |
| Lincoln ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 415 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 4.5% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 1,557 U.S. towns with household incomes like Burlingame’s, it is healthier than 83%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
For adults in Burlingame, the share who have high blood pressure is 27%. The town beats the California average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 22% of adults in the town have obesity; 9.8% report frequent physical distress.
| Burlingame | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Burlingame | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.5% | 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
28,631 jobs are based in Burlingame, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 36,473 in 2013 to 28,631.
Among residents in Burlingame, 7.1% live below the poverty line. Jobs based here fell to 28,631 in 2023, 7,842 fewer than in 2013. For Burlingame, the median household income is $174,000. Half of commuters travel less than 14 miles.
| Burlingame | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $174,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 28% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The national flood insurance program has paid 65 claims in Burlingame since 1978. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage here than in 90% of U.S. communities. 67% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 25%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 865 to 650 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 53% of towns. For Burlingame, the property offense rate is 19.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Burlingame | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 44.8°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 68.8°.
The typical July afternoon high here is 69°F. It almost never snows.
| Burlingame | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 69°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 45°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails run 2.0 miles in 13 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Bayside Park, at 49 acres. Burlingame’s trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Burlingame | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mills Canyon Park | 0.3 mi | 42 |
| 2. Washington Park | 0.3 mi | 16 |
| 3. Bayside Park | 0.1 mi | 49 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
21 within 15 miles of the center of Burlingame
About 6 of every 100 Burlingame residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
4 places in Burlingame on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Burlingame.
City in California, United States
Burlingame () is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 31,386.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Burlingame.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlingame | #108 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
| Hillsborough | #29 | A− | D− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Millbrae | #53 | A− | D− | — | A | A |
| San Mateo | #141 | B | D− | C | A | A |
Millbrae reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Burlingame with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Burlingame grades B+ overall, better than 66% of U.S. towns and #108 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, C for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 53% 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−.
13 notable people were born here, including Ben Eastman and Hart Hanson.
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