Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hillsborough grades A− overall, 29th among California's 841 graded towns. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates. Its schools rank ahead of 95% of California towns and the median household earns $250K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $5.5 million for a typical one and 40.7 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 84% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Hillsborough, against 29% in California’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. On safety, just 21 of California’s 426 towns do better. Hillsborough's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 90% of U.S. towns.
Where Hillsborough beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Hillsborough | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.5% | 10.6% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| West Hillsborough | K–5 | 275 |
| North Hillsborough | K–5 | 274 |
| South Hillsborough | K–5 | 244 |
Where Hillsborough’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 Hillsborough is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 931 in 1920, 11,387 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1915 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hillsborough. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw15 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw17 mi LandmarkLombard StreetAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 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 Hillsborough, 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 Hillsborough.
Hillsborough has schools in the top 5% of California, fares better on crime within California than nationally and has less no health insurance than most of California.
At 40.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $5.53M) costs more against local pay than in any other California town; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
Hillsborough’s going rate for rent stands at $3,501 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 13%. The typical Hillsborough home is worth about $5,532,000, up 13.4% in a year, 7 times the California typical home.
| Hillsborough | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 94% | 64% | 73% |
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 $5.53M.
Three of the 7 schools are below, and why each made the list. The Hillsborough City Elementary school district runs its public schools. Public school enrollment here: 1,239 students across 4 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crocker MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 446 | A+ |
| Crystal Springs Uplands School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 569 | – |
| North HillsboroughTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 274 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 2.5% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hillsborough’s, it is healthier than 66%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
5% of Hillsborough adults smoke cigarettes. CDC measures, 32 in all: Hillsborough beats California on 25 and trails on 2. Also worth knowing: among 847 California towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Hillsborough.
| Hillsborough | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hillsborough | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.2% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 82% of U.S. communities. Paid flood insurance claims in Hillsborough since 1993: 8. FEMA puts 58% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 41% to inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Hillsborough after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2022.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here grew from 1,590 in 2013 to 2,092. 36.3% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Since 2013, Hillsborough has added 502 jobs, to 2,092 in 2023. In Hillsborough, 5% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are San Francisco (23%), San Mateo (7%) and South San Francisco (5%). Half commute less than 15 miles.
| Hillsborough | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 10.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 96% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 98 to 57 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
In Hillsborough, the violent crime rate is 0.4 per 1,000 residents. Its level of property crime comes in at 4.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Hillsborough | 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) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 43.4°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 72°.
The typical July afternoon high in Hillsborough is 72°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| Hillsborough | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 72°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 43°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The biggest park or preserve is Crocker Lake Open Space, at 66 acres. Trails total 2.0 miles in 10 parks and preserves. For Hillsborough, the trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Hillsborough | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tobin Clark Open Space | 0.5 mi | 59 |
| 2. Nueva/Macadamia Open Space | 0.4 mi | 32 |
| 3. Crocker Lake Open Space | — | 66 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
12 within 15 miles of the center of Hillsborough
About 6 of every 100 Hillsborough residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
3 places in Hillsborough on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Hillsborough.
City in California, United States
Hillsborough is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located 17 miles (27 km) south of San Francisco on the San Francisco Peninsula, bordered by Burlingame to the north, San Mateo to the east, Highlands-Baywood Park to the south, and Interstate 280 to the west. The population was 11,387 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Hillsborough.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough | #29 | A− | D− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Burlingame | #108 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
| San Mateo | #141 | B | D− | C | A | A |
| Baywood Park | — | — | D | — | A | A+ |
| Highlands | — | — | D | — | A | A+ |
Baywood Park and Highlands have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Baywood Park and Highlands report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Hillsborough with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hillsborough grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #29 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−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $5,532,000, 627% above the California typical home and up 13.4% in a year. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
4 notable people were born here, including Nathaniel Crosby and Tyler Goeddel.
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