Baywood vs Burlingame: More Home for Your Money in San Mateo
If you have been searching in Burlingame and you are not finding the space you want at the price you want, Baywood in San Mateo deserves a look. Baywood is the second most expensive neighborhood in San Mateo, and at a similar budget it often gets you a larger home on a larger lot, within walking distance of downtown San Mateo and 3 public schools.
I have represented hundreds of buyers and sellers throughout San Mateo County, and Baywood is one of the most supply-constrained neighborhoods on the Peninsula. There have been only 18 sales over the last 12 months in a neighborhood of 678 homes, which is a turnover rate of under 3%. Numbers like that tell you how much the people who live here love it.
Buyers Looking in Burlingame Should See This San Mateo Neighborhood First
Where Is Baywood in San Mateo?
Baywood is south of Crystal Springs Road, west of El Camino Real, east of Alameda de las Pulgas, and north of Edgewood Road. It is a small piece of geography with 678 homes, and it is at the top of many buyers' lists.
The streets are tree-lined and wider than many streets in Burlingame at a similar price point. Most of the neighborhood is flat, and the land starts to rise as you head west toward Alameda, where some homes have views. Edinburgh Street, a couple of blocks west of El Camino, is one of the prettiest flat streets in the neighborhood.
Baywood Architecture
Baywood has a lot of Mediterranean and Spanish-style homes with arched doorways, historic charm, and tile roofs that last a very long time. Most of the homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s, and some newer homes were built in the 1940s and 1950s.
Over the last year or 2, there has been a lot of conversation about a historic designation for the neighborhood and whether older homes should have added protection from teardowns or major changes. Supporters want the neighborhood to keep its character, while others feel strongly that owners should be able to improve their own property. If you are buying in Baywood, it is worth reading up on where that process stands.
Baywood vs Burlingame: What Your Budget Buys
Burlingame has become very pricey in the first half of 2026. In Burlingame, $3-$3.5 million generally buys a 3-bedroom home, which works out to roughly $1 million per bedroom. A 4-bedroom home in Burlingame starts in the high $3 million range and goes up to $6 million, and a 5-bedroom home starts around $5 million.
Over my career, more than a third of my clients looking in Burlingame at these higher price points have been open to Baywood. Here is how the 2 areas compare.
| Feature | Baywood | Burlingame flats |
|---|---|---|
| Typical lot | 7,000-8,000 s/f | 5,000-6,000 s/f |
| Median lot | About 7,300 s/f | About 6,000 s/f |
| Home size near $3.5M | About 3,000 s/f | About 2,200-2,500 s/f |
| Walk to schools | Elementary, middle, and high | Varies by neighborhood |
| Walkable downtown | Downtown San Mateo | Downtown Burlingame |
Larger Lots in Baywood
Lots in Baywood are about 25% larger on average than lots in Burlingame. The flat neighborhoods in Burlingame have a lot of 5,000-6,000 s/f lots, while Baywood has many lots in the 7,000-8,000 s/f range, with a median lot of about 7,300 s/f. Aragon, just to the south, has slightly smaller homes and lots, often around 6,000 s/f.
Who Should Pay the Burlingame Premium?
Burlingame makes sense if you or your partner work in San Francisco 3-5 days a week. If you work from home, or if you commute south to Mountain View, Cupertino, or Menlo Park 2-3 days a week, Baywood is a great location.
A few years ago, I had clients who lived in Ray Park in Burlingame while their kids attended a private school in San Mateo. The drive down El Camino to Alameda and 92 was taking them 25 minutes each morning. They sold their Burlingame home and bought a much larger home in Baywood with an extra bedroom, which they could not have found in Burlingame for the same dollar.
Walking to Schools in Baywood
Baywood is one of the rare neighborhoods on the Peninsula where kids can walk to elementary, middle, and high school, and all 3 are public schools.
Baywood Elementary School is on Alameda de las Pulgas, just across from the Baywood neighborhood.
Borel Middle School is a little to the south in the Homestead Husing neighborhood, and it is a 5-10 minute walk from anywhere in Baywood.
Aragon High School has a beautiful campus and a newer field, and it is one of 3 public high schools in San Mateo.
The San Mateo Union High School District has 6 public high schools, and the district has invested several hundred million dollars in construction and upgrades over roughly the last 10-15 years.
Baywood, Aragon, Homestead Husing, Baywood Knolls, and Foothill Terrace all feed into Baywood Elementary, Borel Middle, and Aragon High. Across all 5 of those neighborhoods, there were only 51 sales over the last year.
Walking to Downtown San Mateo From Baywood
Baywood is within walking distance of downtown San Mateo, which is a huge selling point. On the way, you pass the main branch of the San Mateo Public Library, a fairly new building with a cafe that serves as a hub for the community.
Downtown San Mateo has 171 restaurants and shops, including about a dozen sushi spots, about a dozen Mexican restaurants, and a lot of great Asian and Italian food. It has a Century 12 movie theater and plenty of mom-and-pop shops, partly because rents are lower than in downtown Burlingame. Backhaus, one of my favorite bakeries anywhere, has a location here, and Baking Arts runs summer baking camps for kids 12 and up.
Central Park, a block from El Camino, is one of the biggest urban parks in San Mateo County. It has a Japanese Tea Garden designed by the same landscape architect who worked on the Imperial Palace, Music in the Park on summer Thursday evenings, and San Mateo on Ice in the baseball outfield each winter.
Inside 429 Virginia Avenue in Baywood
Our listing at 429 Virginia Avenue has 5 bedrooms plus an office in about 3,270 s/f on an 8,600 s/f lot, and the asking price is $3,795,000. Over the last year, it is the third largest home and the fourth largest lot to come on the market in Baywood. There is not much under $4 million with this square footage.
The home was renovated about 20 years ago in a $750,000 cosmetic project, and we replaced all of the lighting before listing in a project of about $20,000. Because it is on a gentle rise, the home has views north toward the bay, which most of Baywood does not have.
The Main Level
The living room has an open feel and a clever built-in storage solution, and the kitchen has a large fridge, a great stove, 2 dishwashers, and plenty of dining space with a breakfast bar. The kitchen is too wide to call a galley kitchen. A dedicated mudroom with its own door to the yard is something you rarely find in older homes.
The main level has 2 bedrooms plus an office. One bedroom is so large it could be the primary suite in almost any other house, and the front bedroom has its own en suite bath with a stall shower. The hall bath has a large footprint and is move-in ready, and a future remodel would likely cost about $40,000-$55,000.
The Upstairs Family Room and Bedrooms
Upstairs, there is a large family room with a bar area and views north toward the San Francisco Bay. I rarely see a second-floor family room of this size. Upstairs also has 3 bedrooms, including the primary suite with a stone shower and a small balcony that overlooks the yard.
The upstairs hall bath is on the smaller side. We received estimates of about $35,000-$40,000 to add a stall shower, and another option would extend the bathroom about 2 feet into the adjacent bedroom with help from a structural engineer. There is also a laundry chute that runs down to the laundry room.
A Flat Backyard, a Studio, and a 2-Car Garage
The backyard ranks among the best I have seen at this lot size. It is completely flat, with a built-in barbecue, a pizza oven, built-in speakers, a hot tub, redwood trees, and a basketball hoop with a free-throw line. There are 3 doors out to the yard, and the utility pole is well concealed.
At the back is a studio on a large building pad. The structure is older, uninsulated, and has single-pane windows, so I would work with an architect to replace it with an ADU of about 300-400 s/f. The home also has a true 2-car attached garage, reached by a normal staircase, and the driveway can fit about 4 cars in tandem.
Why Floor Plan Matters So Much on Price
Floor plan and flow drive a lot of value. Two homes of 3,000 s/f can differ by 7 figures in price because one has a great floor plan and the other does not. The premium for going from 3 to 4 bedrooms, or from 4 to 5, can often be $800,000-$1 million or more.
The Sewer Lateral Requirement in San Mateo
San Mateo, Burlingame, and Hillsborough all have a sewer lateral requirement, which means the line between the house and the sidewalk must be tested at the point of sale. Hillsborough requires a camera inspection that the town reviews, while Burlingame uses a water test that checks whether the water level drops over 30 minutes. San Mateo uses a similar test.
The seller usually takes care of this before closing, although a buyer can sometimes take it on within a set period afterward. The test at 429 Virginia failed, so our clients paid to bring the line into compliance before closing, which is one less thing for the buyer to handle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Baywood neighborhood in San Mateo?
Baywood is south of Crystal Springs Road, west of El Camino Real, east of Alameda de las Pulgas, and north of Edgewood Road. It has 678 homes and is within walking distance of downtown San Mateo.
Which schools serve Baywood?
Baywood is served by Baywood Elementary School, Borel Middle School, and Aragon High School, and all 3 are walkable from the neighborhood.
How many homes sell in Baywood each year?
There were 18 sales over the last 12 months in a neighborhood of 678 homes, which is a turnover rate of under 3%.
How does Baywood compare with Burlingame?
At a similar price, Baywood generally offers a larger home on a lot that is about 25% larger, along with walkable schools and a walk to downtown San Mateo. Burlingame makes more sense for buyers who commute to San Francisco 3-5 days a week.
What does $4 million buy in Baywood?
Our listing at 429 Virginia Avenue, asking $3,795,000, has 5 bedrooms plus an office in about 3,270 s/f on an 8,600 s/f lot, with an upstairs family room, a backyard studio, and a 2-car attached garage.
Is Baywood Right for Your Search?
If you have been looking in Burlingame and the homes in your budget feel too small, Baywood is worth a serious look. You get larger lots, walkable schools, and a short walk to downtown San Mateo, and the people who buy here tend to stay. If you would like to walk the neighborhood or talk through whether Baywood fits your search, I would be glad to help.
This article is copyrighted by Raziel Ungar and may not be reproduced or copied without express written permission.
