Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. San Carlos grades A overall, 4th of 841 graded towns in California. It is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns. Its schools rank ahead of 95% of California towns and the median household earns $237K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $2.4 million for a typical one and 18 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in San Carlos, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. San Carlos is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. San Carlos has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Southern Pacific Depot and Timby House.
Where San Carlos beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far San Carlos is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,132 in 1930, 30,722 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1872 and 7 maps from 1939 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around San Carlos. Close and well known come first.
Big draw24 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw19 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw18 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
3 mi MuseumFiloliAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Filoli: Sukuru, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in San Carlos, 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 Carlos.
San Carlos has schools in the top 5% of California 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 18 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $2.45M) costs more against local pay than in 95% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
The median rent in San Carlos is $2,854 a month. Typical home values rose 8.4% in the year to September 2026.
| San Carlos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,854 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #29 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.45M.
Its public schools are run by the San Carlos Elementary school district. Two of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tierra Linda MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 451 | A |
| White Oaks ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 250 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 3.9% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 516 U.S. towns with household incomes like San Carlos’s, it is healthier than 60%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
26% of adults sleep under 7 hours in San Carlos. San Carlos beats the California average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 15% of adults get no exercise outside work in San Carlos.
| San Carlos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | San Carlos | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.9% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
9.5 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. San Carlos’ trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile. Eaton Park, at 69 acres with 3.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| San Carlos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.8 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eaton Park | 3.2 mi | 69 |
| 2. Big Canyon Park | 2.6 mi | 64 |
| 3. Arguello Park | 1.2 mi | 23 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 48 flood insurance claims have been paid out in San Carlos.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
San Carlos has warm winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 40° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
San Carlos has about as many jobs (16,608) as working residents, but only 1,117 people both live and work here. 35% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave San Carlos for work: only 8% work in town. 35% of San Carlos workers work from home. Since 2013, San Carlos has added 3,698 jobs, to 16,608 in 2023.
| San Carlos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 35% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $237,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
12 within 15 miles of the center of San Carlos
About 5 of every 100 San Carlos residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
3 places in San Carlos on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in San Carlos.
City in California, United States
San Carlos (Spanish for "St. Charles") is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. San Carlos is a part of Silicon Valley. The population is 30,722 per the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with San Carlos.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Carlos | #4 | A | D | — | A+ | A+ |
| Redwood City | #160 | B | D− | C− | A | A |
| Belmont | #68 | B+ | D− | B− | A+ | A+ |
San Carlos reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare San Carlos with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. San Carlos grades A overall, better than 90% of U.S. towns and #4 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health and A+ for schools. Hazard risk 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.
7 notable people were born here, including Kathryn Bigelow and Hunter Bishop.
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