Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. San Bruno grades B overall, ranked 162nd of 841 in California. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 90% of the country and the median household earns $141K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $1.3 million for a typical one and 9.5 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. San Bruno’s median rent is $2,773 a month, above both the California town median ($1,895 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). San Bruno is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. San Bruno is home to Skyline College.
Where San Bruno beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far San Bruno is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,562 in 1920, 43,908 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around San Bruno. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw12 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw12 mi LandmarkLombard Street
4 mi Park & preserveOyster Point Marina/ParkAlcatraz 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 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Oyster Point Marina/Park: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in San Bruno, 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 San Bruno.
San Bruno has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, has less tooth loss than most of California and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
The typical San Bruno home is worth about $1,287,000, up 3.8% in a year, 69% above the California typical home. 62% of households own their home in San Bruno.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the San Bruno Park Elementary school district. Three of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monte Verde ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 517 | A |
| Capuchino HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,061 | – |
| Portola ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 378 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is tooth loss: 6.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 3,461 U.S. towns with household incomes like San Bruno’s, it is healthier than 61%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
23% of San Bruno adults have obesity. San Bruno beats the California average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 70% of San Bruno adults had a checkup this year.
| San Bruno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 29% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | San Bruno | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 22 flood insurance claims have been paid out in San Bruno.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave San Bruno for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, San Bruno has added 1,682 jobs, to 13,077 in 2023. San Bruno’s average trip to work is 24 minutes.
| San Bruno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $141,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 18% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
4.9 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Junipero Serra County Park, 94 acres with 3.7 miles of trail.
| San Bruno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.8% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Junipero Serra County Park | 3.7 mi | 94 |
| 2. San Bruno Park | 0.3 mi | 31 |
| 3. Portola Highlands Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 1,019 to 692 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 50% of towns. The property crime rate in San Bruno is 14.7 per 1,000 residents.
| San Bruno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 44.1°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 69.6°.
San Bruno has warm winters and cool summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| San Bruno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 70°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 44°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Children under 18 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). San Bruno has lost 3.6% of its people since 2020, down to 42,305 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 45% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| San Bruno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 29% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.0, men 38.6.
| San Bruno | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.9% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.5% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.2% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.1% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.7% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 30.5% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
18 within 15 miles of the center of San Bruno
About 7 of every 100 San Bruno residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where San Bruno’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in California, United States
San Bruno (from Spanish 'St. Bruno') is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, incorporated in 1914. The population was 43,908 at the 2020 United States census. The city is between South San Francisco and Millbrae, adjacent to San Francisco International Airport and Golden Gate National Cemetery; it is approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of Downtown San Francisco. It is home to the headquarters of YouTube.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with San Bruno.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Bruno | #162 | B | D | C | A− | A |
| South San Francisco | #204 | B− | D− | C | B+ | A− |
| Millbrae | #53 | A− | D− | — | A | A |
| Pacifica | #96 | B+ | D− | B− | A− | A |
Millbrae reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare San Bruno with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. San Bruno grades B overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #162 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 50% 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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