Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Millbrae grades A− overall, 53rd of 841 graded towns in California. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 92% of the country and its public schools beat 89% of California towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $2.1 million for a typical one and 15.1 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Millbrae’s median rent is $3,272 a month, against $1,895 a month in California’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Millbrae is more walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. Southern Pacific Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Millbrae beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Millbrae’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 Millbrae is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 93% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 1%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 195 in 1880, 23,216 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1889 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Millbrae. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw13 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
5 mi Park & preserveOyster Point Marina/Park
Big draw14 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 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oyster Point Marina/Park: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Millbrae, 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 Millbrae.
Millbrae has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has less no health insurance than most of California, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
At 15.1 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $2.05M) costs more against local pay than in 93% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $9,996, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Typical home values rose 7.4% in the year to September 2026. 61% of Millbrae households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.05M.
Its public schools are run by the Millbrae Elementary school district. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 756 | A |
| Mills HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,115 | – |
| Spring Valley ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 375 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 5.1% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 1,959 U.S. towns with household incomes like Millbrae’s, it is less healthy than 51%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
19% of adults have obesity in Millbrae. Millbrae beats the California average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 16% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Millbrae.
| Millbrae | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 22% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Millbrae | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.8% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 31 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Millbrae.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4.3 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. The trail density in Millbrae is 1.3 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is San Francisco Peninsula Watershed, at 28 acres.
| Millbrae | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Francisco Peninsula Watershed | — | 28 |
| 2. Junipero Serra County Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
| 3. Spur Trail | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Millbrae for work: only 6% work in town. Millbrae’s median household income is $163,000. Jobs based in Millbrae grew to 4,624 in 2023, 346 more than in 2013.
| Millbrae | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $163,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 22% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 44.8°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 68.8°.
Millbrae has warm winters and cool summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Millbrae | 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
18 within 15 miles of the center of Millbrae
About 6 of every 100 Millbrae residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
City in California, United States
Millbrae is a city in northern San Mateo County, California, United States. To the northeast is San Francisco International Airport; San Bruno is to the northwest, and Burlingame is to the southeast. It is bordered by San Andreas Lake to the southwest. The population was 23,216 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Millbrae.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millbrae | #53 | A− | D− | — | A | A |
| San Bruno | #162 | B | D | C | A− | A |
| Burlingame | #108 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
Millbrae reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Millbrae with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Millbrae grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns and #53 of 841 in California. It grades A for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Anthony Neely and Diane Papan.
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