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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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COUNTYThriving

San Mateo County, CA

Thriving overall. GDP / Output is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score73out of 100
Compare
100
75
32
69
81

Population

742,340

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+11.1% YoY

100

$217.0B

Output changed +11.1% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.8%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

75

3.1%

Unemployment is 3.1% for May 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.2%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

-3.0% 5-year

32

742,340

Population moved -3.0% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population39,287,377
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

69

22.1%

Median rent consumes 22.1% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$2.0K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$5.8K per resident

81

$4.4B

$4.4B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$485.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$4.4B

$5.8K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$3.4B
2. Department of Housing and Urban Development$222.5M
3. Department of Homeland Security$177.5M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. COVENANT AVIATION SECURITY, LLC$165.3M
2. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF COUNTY OF SAN M$157.9M
3. SRI INTERNATIONAL$133.5M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.1%

of median income

1BR estimate$2,396
2BR estimate$3,156
Median income$158,855
Median home value$1,559,600

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

742,340

Median age

40.9

Bachelor's degree+

53.7%

Poverty rate

6.7%

Labor force participation

67.3%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.1%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

May 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-21

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

-0.6%

GDP CAGR

+7.3%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
2020765,623
2021762,488
2022754,250
2023745,100
2024742,340
GDP (5 years)
2020$152.7B
2021$175.4B
2022$176.5B
2023$195.3B
2024$217.0B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024742,340
2025734,774 *
2026728,379 *

R² = 96.8% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$217.0B
2025$227.9B *
2026$242.8B *

R² = 94.9% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$158,855/yr
Median rent$2,922/mo
Rent share of income22.1%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$94,634/yr
Mortgage share of income59.6%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.1%
State avg5.2%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation67.3%
Poverty rate6.7%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. May 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$1,559,600
Median monthly rent$2,922
Price-to-rent ratio44.5x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score73/100
Economic growth100/100
Labor market75/100
Population momentum32/100
Overall stability73/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

San Mateo County, California

County

Part of

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

Nearby locations

Half Moon Bay, CAWoodside, CAEmerald Lake Hills, CAHighlands, CABelmont, CA