Ernest Coxhead House · Photo: Eugene Zelenko · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, San Mateo as a whole is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns
San Mateo beats California on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and trails on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for San Mateo. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in San Mateo
Against towns with similar incomes, San Mateo’s lead shrinks
San Mateo is healthier than 93% of U.S. towns, but 62% of the 2,538 towns with similar household incomes ($115K–$192K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
COPD and diabetes are less common in San Mateo
San Mateo runs below California on five chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.9% vs 5.1%), diabetes (9.4% vs 11.7%) and stroke (2.5% vs 3.1%). Conditions ↓
Fewer San Mateo adults struggle to make ends meet
Worries about food, housing, utility bills and getting around all run below California. 1 in 8 adults worry about having enough food, vs 1 in 6 adults statewide. Everyday needs ↓
San Mateo is an active town
Only 19.5% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 24.6% across California. The town has 21 miles of trails across 33 parks and preserves. Habits ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the California figure falls outside San Mateo’s likely range.
What’s behind San Mateo’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, San Mateo is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns, #116 of 847 in California. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 98% of towns); the weakest is fair or poor health, still better than 72%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). San Mateo’s median household income is $153,504; among the 2,538 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($115K–$192K), it’s healthier than 62%, about where its income would put it.
At 103,337 residents, San Mateo is graded like any town, from one citywide estimate; its rank among the 395 U.S. cities over 100,000 is the fairer comparison.
Out of every 100 San Mateo adults…
San Mateo runs below CA on 7 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.6% of San Mateo adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 15.6% across California.
Everyday habits, side by side with California
Share of adults, with the California figure marked.
21 miles of trails across 33 parks and preserves
Care in and near San Mateo
1 hospital and 3 community health centers in San Mateo, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of San Mateo; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of San Mateo adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks California.
How San Mateo adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, San Mateo does better than California.
1 in 3 San Mateo adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
San Mateo and the towns around it
San Mateo’s Health Grade ranks 7th of 7 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | A | 23% | 9.4% | 8.3% | CDC place |
| Baywood Park | A+ | 19.2% | 10.1% | 6% | CDC place |
| Hillsborough | A+ | 18.7% | 9.7% | 5% | CDC place |
| Belmont | A+ | 21.3% | 8.6% | 6.9% | CDC place |
| Foster City | A+ | 17.8% | 8.7% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Highlands | A+ | 20% | 9.6% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Burlingame | A+ | 21.7% | 8.6% | 7.2% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of San Mateo adults live with a disability (California 30.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for San Mateo
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, San Mateo is better than California on 20 and worse on 0; on the rest, the California figure falls inside San Mateo’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | San Mateo | CA | U.S. | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.8%14.8–18.8 | 22.1% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.7%9.4–11.9 | 13.4% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13.9%12.2–15.5 | 16.4% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 23%18.4–27.7 | 27.8% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 9.4%8.1–10.6 | 11.7% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 27.2%23.9–30.2 | 30.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 35.2%31.3–38.8 | 35.4% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 19%16.6–21.3 | 20.8% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 8.8%7.7–9.8 | 9.3% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.9–7.1 | 6.4% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.2–5.2 | 5.6% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.9%3.4–4.3 | 5.1% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.5%2.3–2.7 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 6.6%5.2–8.1 | 10.6% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 8.3%7–9.4 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 19.5%16.2–22.5 | 24.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 15.8%13.1–18.4 | 15.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.2%23.6–33.1 | 35.1% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.3%6.3–8.3 | 10.6% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 70%66–73.5 | 71.9% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 68.5%65.3–71.7 | 62.8% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 87%85.4–88.5 | 85.4% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 70.3%66.8–73.3 | 71.3% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.5%58.8–67.9 | 57.5% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.5%71.8–84.3 | 75.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.3%16.3–22.1 | 20.1% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 34.7%30.3–39.2 | 37.3% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 25.7%22.5–29.1 | 28.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 12.4%10.8–14.1 | 17.9% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.3%9–11.7 | 14.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.2%4.5–5.9 | 7.3% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.7%6–7.5 | 9.3% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.6%8.5–10.9 | 15.6% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 24%20.8–27.1 | 30.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.3%9–11.5 | 13.8% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.4%10.1–12.7 | 14.6% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5%4.4–5.6 | 5.9% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4%3.7–4.4 | 5.6% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.1%5.4–6.7 | 8.1% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.7%2.5–2.9 | 3.9% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the California figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in San Mateo
Is San Mateo a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, San Mateo is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns: A for health, #116 of 847 in California. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 62%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in San Mateo?
CDC estimates 23% of adults have obesity, likely between 18.4% and 27.7%, against 27.8% across California and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to San Mateo?
San Mateo Medical Center in San Mateo, 2.2 miles in a straight line from San Mateo’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in San Mateo have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.3% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.3–8.3%), against 10.6% across California.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in San Mateo more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from A− to A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in San Mateo.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The California figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.