Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,232, settled in 1909.
El Granada's standout: it has 16 miles of trail and 59% conserved land. Overall it grades B−, 192nd of 841 graded towns in California. Residents are healthier than 92% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it is more walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $1.4 million for a typical one and 10.5 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. El Granada’s median household income is $213,000, above both the California town median ($95,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Rancho Corral de Tierra, at 1,323 acres with 5.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top.
Where El Granada beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
59.4% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far El Granada is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,473 in 1970, 5,481 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around El Granada. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw20 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw20 mi LandmarkLombard StreetAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, 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
El Granada is unincorporated, so San Mateo County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 El Granada.
El Granada keeps more of its land conserved than most of California, has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has less tooth loss than most of California.
Its 1,857 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 99% of California towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #11 of 847 in California.
16 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. El Granada’s trail density is 3.2 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quarry Park | 7.7 mi | 500 |
| 2. Rancho Corral de Tierra | 5.6 mi | 1,323 |
| 3. Mirada Surf | 0.8 mi | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Cabrillo Unified school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Granada ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 324 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is tooth loss: 4.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 815 U.S. towns with household incomes like El Granada’s, it is less healthy than 83%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
26% of El Granada adults sleep under 7 hours. El Granada beats the California average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 8.7% of El Granada adults smoke cigarettes.
| El Granada | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 24% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | El Granada | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.4% | 10.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.5% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One flood insurance claim has been paid in El Granada since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here grew from 589 in 2013 to 844. 27.5% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave El Granada for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, El Granada has added 255 jobs, to 844 in 2023. The average trip to work in El Granada is 30 minutes.
| El Granada | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.3% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 45.1°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 67.3°.
El Granada has warm winters and cool summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| El Granada | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 67°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 45°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 10.5 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 79% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $8,235, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
89% of households own their home in El Granada.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
7 within 15 miles of the center of El Granada
About 5 of every 100 El Granada residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where El Granada’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in California, United States
El Granada is a suburban village and census-designated place (CDP) in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 5,481 at the 2020 census. The village is named for the city of Granada, Spain.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with El Granada.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Granada | #192 | B− | D− | — | B | A |
| Moss Beach | #150 | B | D | — | B | A |
| Half Moon Bay | #140 | B | D | — | B | A |
El Granada, Moss Beach and Half Moon Bay report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare El Granada with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
El Granada grades B− overall, better than 51% of U.S. towns and #192 of 841 in California. It grades A for health and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,425,000, 87% above the California typical home. 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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