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Average Rent in San Mateo, CA & Rent Trends

What is the average rent in San Mateo, CA?

The average listed apartment rent in San Mateo, CA is $5,136 per month, as of October 23, 2026. This sample includes 90 priced apartments in 11 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from October 17, 2026 through October 23, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 11 apartment communities in San Mateo, CA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas Country Club Manor North Central South San Mateo Town Center Western Hills
Belmont 94002
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in San Mateo, CA.

Market Average

$5,136/mo

▲ +6% from last month

Lowest Available

$2,225/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

11

tracked daily

Units Listed

90

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

24 cuts and 3 increases among 50 comparable listings this week. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Rent by Neighborhood in San Mateo, CA

Compare average rent across San Mateo, CA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends. View these neighborhoods on the rent map

Neighborhood Avg Rent 30d Change From Properties Units
South San Mateo $5,643 ▲  $302 $4,323 1 17
Country Club Manor $5,229 ▲  $142 $3,197 5 48
Town Center $5,177 ▲  $519 $3,965 2 8
Belmont 94002 $4,438 ▲  $330 $3,778 1 11
North Central $4,176 ▼  $701 $2,225 2 6

Is Rent Going Up or Down in San Mateo, CA?

As of October 2026, the average rent in San Mateo, CA is $5,136 per month across 11 apartment communities and 90 available units. Rents have increased $292 (6%) over the past month.

The most affordable option is Country Club Apartments starting at $2,225/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $3,510/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $4,459/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $5,973/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $7,335/mo.

Prices range from $2,225 to $8,504 per month. The most common price point is the $4,200 range, where 14 units are currently listed.

San Mateo, CA Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
June 2026 $4,739 - 8
July 2026 $4,970 +$231 9
August 2026 $5,030 +$60 8
September 2026 $4,830 -$200 8
October 2026 $5,086 +$256 12

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in San Mateo, CA

Studio
$3,510
from $2,225 · 7 units
1 Bed
$4,459
from $3,566 · 42 units
2 Bed
$5,973
from $4,625 · 37 units
3 Bed
$7,335
from $6,907 · 4 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in San Mateo, CA

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Country Club Apartments $2,225/mo $2,225/mo 1 2.3
Ryan Tower $3,197/mo $4,105/mo 8 3.6
Hanover Burlingame $3,636/mo $5,100/mo 14 4.7
The Hayden Apartments $3,778/mo $4,438/mo 11 4.3
Brickline Flats $3,891/mo $4,567/mo 5 3.8
The Triton $3,965/mo $5,203/mo 3 3.8
One Adrian Apartments $4,190/mo $4,827/mo 10 4

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in San Mateo, CA

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

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Any bedrooms

What is the average rent in San Mateo, CA?
The average listed apartment rent in San Mateo, CA is $5,136 per month, as of October 23, 2026. This sample includes 90 priced apartments in 11 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in San Mateo, CA?
The apartment listings we track in San Mateo, CA range from $2,225 to $8,504 per month, as of October 23, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in San Mateo, CA?
The daily building-average rent rose by $289 (6.0%) over 31 days between observations in September 2026 and October 2026. This compares recorded asking rents. The current month's figures may still be incomplete, and the building mix can change.

How much is a studio apartment in San Mateo, CA?
Studio apartments average $3,510 per month across 7 priced listings in San Mateo, CA. Listed rents range from $2,225 to $3,985 per month, as of October 23, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in San Mateo, CA?
1-bedroom apartments average $4,459 per month across 42 priced listings in San Mateo, CA. Listed rents range from $3,566 to $6,018 per month, as of October 23, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in San Mateo, CA?
2-bedroom apartments average $5,973 per month across 37 priced listings in San Mateo, CA. Listed rents range from $4,625 to $7,624 per month, as of October 23, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 3-bedroom apartment in San Mateo, CA?
3-bedroom apartments average $7,335 per month across 4 priced listings in San Mateo, CA. Listed rents range from $6,907 to $8,504 per month, as of October 23, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How do 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rents compare in San Mateo, CA?
The 1-bedroom average is $4,459 per month across 42 listings. The 2-bedroom average is $5,973 across 37 listings, $1,514 (34.0%) higher. This is a comparison of listing groups, not the cost to upgrade a specific apartment.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in San Mateo, CA?
Country Club Apartments has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $2,225 per month. We track 1 priced listing matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of October 23, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in San Mateo, CA?
The $4,200 to $4,400 monthly range has the most matching listings: 14 units, or 15.6% of the priced apartments we track in San Mateo, CA. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in San Mateo, CA?
We track 90 priced units at 11 apartment buildings, as of October 23, 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for San Mateo, CA?
We have recorded rent data on 102 days from June 2026 through October 2026 for apartment listings in San Mateo, CA. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in San Mateo, CA?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ / senior community and Corporate housing and Military / active duty housing and Veteran housing. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the San Mateo, CA rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was October 23, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in San Mateo, CA?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$205,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $5,136/mo.

Comfortable income

$247,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($2,225/mo), you need to earn at least $89,000/year.

Median household income in San Mateo, CA is $152,669 , about 38% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore San Mateo, CA Apartments

Browse all 11 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in San Mateo, CA

Overall prices in San Mateo, CA runs above the national average by about 18% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 117.6, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by San Mateo, CA's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $5,136
Utilities $861
Groceries $622
Transportation $2,051
Healthcare $1,001
Other goods and services $1,601
Estimated total $11,272/mo

Population

103,555

Median household income

$152,669

Census median rent

$3,079/mo

Census rent burden

28.5%

Median age

38.0

Mean commute

27 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
California Rent Trends
Compare rent across all California cities
San Mateo, CA Neighborhood Rent Map
See rent history by neighborhood on a map
Explore San Mateo, CA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how San Mateo, CA rents stack up against the national median

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