San Mateo is a historic city located south of San Francisco. The history of San Mateo is rich, and it features the migration of Indians who moved to the city because of its freshwater streams. By the mid-1800s, the railway that links San Jose and San Francisco was developed in San Mateo, thus attracting more people to the city.
If your goal is to live in a serene California city, San Mateo is a good choice. Firstly, look at San Mateo homes for sale to find out that there is both an urban and a rural ambiance. If you are planning to settle in San Mateo, there are several factors that you need to know to help you plan effectively. Let’s check out some of these factors.
What makes San Mateo so desirable?
The connection between San Jose and San Fransisco
San Mateo links San Jose to San Francisco, and people love to reside in this city because they can easily access the two cities. Because San Mateo is so close to both cities, residents can get a taste of the big city in just a half-hour drive.
Apart from the urban cities, San Mateo is also a short drive away from other places where you can spend time and enjoy yourself, including Menlo Park and Palo Alto. These two suburban towns are home to some of the most amusing restaurants and bars in the Bay Area.
A vibrant downtown area
Right at the heart of this historical city is a vibrant downtown scene. The downtown area is a mix of lively restaurants, bars, trendy shops, and boutiques. The eateries have authentic cuisines ranging from Cuban to Japanese.
Apart from the booming commercial centers in the area, downtown is also home to the city’s Central Park. Though it is not as big as the one in New York, it is still beautiful and makes a wonderful place to visit with friends and family. The fitness fanatics are not left behind; the city has several gyms and yoga studios spread across the downtown area.
Good climate
The near-perfect weather of San Mateo is one of the contributing factors to why people are flocking to this city. The city is famous for its moderate climate, experienced throughout the year. While other cities like San Jose and San Francisco experience high temperatures during the hotter months, the temperatures in San Mateo remain ideally cool.
The climate also remains warmer during the winter season compared to other cities. Temperatures in this city rarely go above 75 degrees or below 60 degrees, thus creating a delightful climate all year round to enjoy outdoor activities.
Things you should beware of about San Mateo
Housing Market
You must dig deep into your pocket to buy a home in San Mateo. The housing market here is hot, with the median selling price currently at $1.4 million. This is relatively high, especially for people looking for reasonably priced houses that fit their budgets. However, for the last few months, the hot markets have shown signs of cooling down, and predictions show that prices for San Mateo homes will gradually decrease even further in the upcoming months.
Despite the high housing prices, over 50% of the population owns their own homes. For people interested in renting an apartment in the city, the price is $3,565 per month for a one-bedroom apartment and $4,479 for a two-bedroom apartment.
Cost of living
Because it is situated between two major cities, the cost of living in San Mateo is expensive compared to other cities in California. In a recent study, San Mateo ranked as the 7th most expensive city in the world and the 4th in California.
Compared to San Jose and San Francisco, however, San Mateo is much cheaper and offers more affordable housing than the other two. If you are planning to move to San Mateo, proper planning and research are essential to making your stay here worthwhile.
The Job Market
San Mateo is home to many companies in the field of technology, and it benefits from the economic robustness and innovation brought about by these companies. Despite the tech industry, other sectors, such as healthcare, education, art, and finance, as well as hospitality and accommodation services, have contributed to lowering the rate of unemployment to 2.1%.
This percentage is even lower than the nation’s average of 3.9%.
These sectors not only provide a wide range of job opportunities but also pay well, allowing people living in San Mateo to own their own homes and afford the high cost of living. The job market is expected to widen in the coming years, with projections showing a 38.7% increase in job opportunities. Education, arts and entertainment, health care, hospitality and food services, the recreation industry, finance, and retail businesses are thought to be the top industries in San Mateo that hire the most people.
