San Mateo vs San Carlos vs Belmont: Which Peninsula City Fits You?

San Mateo, San Carlos, and Belmont are within a few miles of each other on the SF Peninsula, and all 3 cities have top-ranked schools and competitive home prices. Buyers rarely compare them side by side, though, because each city has a completely different personality. San Mateo offers big-city variety at a suburban scale, San Carlos offers a walkable small-town downtown, and Belmont offers quiet, wooded privacy.

Before you chase a price point, you need to know which lifestyle you are buying into. I have worked with more than 600 buyers and sellers throughout San Mateo County, and this guide compares these 3 cities on real estate, food, schools, parks, commuting, and walkability.

Shot in June 2026, so the figures adhere to that time.

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San Mateo: The Largest and Most Varied of the 3 Cities

San Mateo is the biggest of these 3 cities, with about 100,000 residents and 27 different neighborhoods. You can buy a single-family home here for $1.2 million, or you can spend $8 million or more. The range between the low end and the high end is even wider than it is in Burlingame.

Downtown San Mateo and Hillsdale Shopping Center

Downtown San Mateo has 171 restaurants and shops. Central Park is right next to downtown, and it has a popular Japanese Tea Garden, Music in the Park during the summer, and an ice rink called San Mateo on Ice in the baseball outfield during the winter.

Hillsdale Shopping Center has an Apple Store and an outdoor food court. Several hundred million dollars have been invested there over the last few years, and more renovations and new housing are planned.

Commuting and Major Employers in San Mateo

San Mateo is central for commuting, with several Caltrain stops and quick access to 101, 92, and 280. It is roughly halfway between San Francisco and the South Bay, which is a big selling point for couples when one partner works in the city and the other works in the South Bay.

Visa is one of the big employers in San Mateo. Roblox, SurveyMonkey, and Franklin Templeton are all located at Bay Meadows, which was built out over the last 10-20 years with modern townhomes, apartments, and some single-family homes. Bay Meadows has an urban feel that you will not find in many other places on the Peninsula.

Flat Neighborhoods, Hillside Homes, and Bay Views

San Mateo also has a wide range of topography. You can live in a flat, tree-lined neighborhood like Baywood with large lots, in the San Mateo Highlands with its Eichler homes, or in a 2-story home on the hill with bay views or canyon views.

Parks and Trails in San Mateo

• Seal Point Park is on the Bay Trail just east of 101 and 3rd Avenue, and it has a dog park and a large set of steps that make a great workout.

• The Bay Trail lets me ride about 13 miles from Burlingame to Redwood Shores on a paved path without a single stop sign or traffic light, so it is a great ride to do with kids.

• Sawyer Camp Trail overlooks Crystal Springs Reservoir, and you can go about 6 miles north toward Millbrae and 6 miles back on a mostly flat path.

• Coyote Point has a marina and CuriOdyssey, a popular kids' science museum that runs summer camps and hosts birthday parties.

• Beresford Park has a skate park, lawn bowling, basketball hoops, and community garden plots that people wait years to get.

San Carlos: The City of Good Living

San Carlos uses the slogan "The City of Good Living," and its community feel has a lot in common with Burlingame. The city has a few neighborhoods in the flats and 2 neighborhoods in the hills. Homes in the flatter areas generally cost more than homes in the hills, because more buyers will pay a premium for flat, walkable streets.

Downtown San Carlos on Laurel Street

Laurel Street is a vibrant downtown, and San Carlos is one of only 2 towns on the Peninsula where you can park downtown for free. Downtown San Carlos reminds me of what downtown Burlingame was probably like about 20 years ago. It is classy, it has a lot of mom-and-pop shops, and the rents are more accessible.

Local favorites like The Reading Bug and Blue Line Pizza are on Laurel Street, and residents can take care of almost everything without leaving town. San Carlos also has a weekly farmers market that runs year-round. For comparison, San Mateo has what I consider the best farmers market on the Peninsula at the College of San Mateo, where a couple hundred vendors fill a huge parking lot, and it rivals the Ferry Building and Alemany farmers markets in San Francisco.

Burton Park and Hometown Days

Burton Park, near Brittan Avenue and Cedar Street, is a hub of the San Carlos community and is within walking distance of Laurel Street. It is one of my favorite parks on the whole Peninsula. Every year, the park hosts Hometown Days, a series of events on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday with activities for families and kids.

Highlands Park and Crest Park have both been redone fairly recently, and they have huge fields for soccer, baseball, and much more. These parks show that even a hillier neighborhood like Beverly Terrace still gets large, open park space. San Carlos also has a high density of trees, even though the town removed some trees when it built parts of its neighborhoods.

Commuting from San Carlos

San Carlos is south of both San Mateo and Belmont, so it is the farthest south of these 3 cities. If you need to be in San Francisco by 8:30 or 9 a.m., you will probably hit traffic on 101 near 92 and Hillsdale Boulevard. If I worked in the city 3-5 days a week, I would want to live in San Mateo or farther north.

San Carlos has become a much more attractive option over the last few years as real estate prices in Menlo Park and Palo Alto have climbed. Many buyers work at companies like Meta or Google but do not want to live in Mountain View, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Atherton, or Woodside, and San Carlos checks the box for them. Buyers also get better value in San Carlos than they would in a comparable home in Burlingame.

Belmont: Quiet, Wooded, and Private

Belmont is the most different of these 3 cities, and it does not compare closely to any other town on the Peninsula, in a good way. It is quiet, private, and wooded, with winding streets, very few street lights, and fewer sidewalks. Only a minority of buyers who look in San Carlos or San Mateo also look in Belmont, and the people who buy there usually choose it because they love it.

Belmont Homes and Architecture

Belmont has very high tree density, and it often looks as though the homes were built around the trees. The architecture varies a lot: some homes are A-frames, some are built on the side of a hill, and some have the kitchen on a different level than the yard. Some buyers do not like that layout, but Belmont buyers are often drawn to it.

Twin Pines Park, Carlmont Village, and Waterdog Lake

Twin Pines Park is the main park in Belmont, and it is close to the flatter area near downtown. Belmont does not have a long, flat, walkable downtown strip for date night the way San Mateo, San Carlos, and Burlingame do. Its downtown is more of a place to handle errands, although Belmont does have some great places to eat.

For shopping, Carlmont Village at the corner of Alameda de las Pulgas and Ralston Avenue has a couple of grocery stores and some good restaurants. Waterdog Lake is one of the best places for mountain biking on the Peninsula east of Skyline, and it also has great hiking on hilly dirt trails.

Who Belmont Fits Best

Belmont is just north of San Carlos and just south of San Mateo, and it is located between 101 and 280, so most of the town is hilly. A Belmont buyer is usually not looking for walkable nightlife. They want a quiet home that feels like an oasis.

I am working with a client right now who wants to buy in Belmont because they want to bike to Waterdog Lake. They have even ridden from homes they toured over to the lake to see what that ride is like.

Schools in San Mateo, San Carlos, and Belmont

• San Mateo has 11 public elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 3 high schools, which are Hillsdale High School, San Mateo High School, and Aragon High School.

• Students in the Baywood and Aragon neighborhoods can walk to elementary, middle, and high school, which is rare on the Peninsula.

• San Carlos has 6 public elementary schools and Belmont has 5, while each town has 2 public middle schools.

• Carlmont High School takes its name from San Carlos and Belmont, and it serves all of Belmont and the northern part of San Carlos.

• San Carlos does not have its own public high school, so students in the southern part of San Carlos are assigned to Sequoia High School in Redwood City.

Commuting: Which Peninsula City Fits Your Work Location?

• San Mateo is the most central of the 3 cities, so it works well for a couple when one partner works in San Francisco or South San Francisco biotech and the other works in Silicon Valley.

• San Mateo is also a great fit for single professionals who want flexibility in where they work.

• San Carlos is the strongest fit of the 3 for buyers who work in Menlo Park or Palo Alto, but a daily commute to San Francisco during business hours is less enjoyable.

• Belmont is between the other 2 cities geographically, and it fits best when you want trees, winding streets, quiet, and privacy.

Home Prices in San Mateo, San Carlos, and Belmont

San Mateo has the widest price range of the 3 cities. A 2-bedroom starter home east of 101 in Shoreview or Parkside can cost $1.2-$1.5 million. In San Mateo Park, prices start around $3 million and go up to about $6 million, with some exceptions at $7-$8 million on large, flat 20,000 s/f lots. For most San Mateo neighborhoods, a 3-bedroom home generally starts in the high $1 million range and goes up to the mid $3 million range.

Here is how the 3 cities compared on single-family home sales over the 12 months before this video was recorded.

What These Numbers Mean for Buyers

San Carlos had the highest prices of the 3 cities, with an average sale price above $3 million, which I believe is a record for San Carlos. Belmont had the highest price per s/f at $1,382, and homes there averaged just 12 days on market. In Belmont, a home that is well priced, in a good location, and in good condition sells fast.

Homes in San Mateo also move quickly, with an average of 20 days on market. In any of these 3 cities, you should be patient, but you should also be ready to drop what you are doing and see the right home as soon as it comes up. Spend time with your agent in advance so that you have realistic expectations about what your budget can buy in each area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more expensive: San Mateo, San Carlos, or Belmont?

San Carlos was the most expensive of the 3 cities, with a median sale price of $2,874,000 and an average sale price of $3,066,017. Belmont had the highest price per s/f at $1,382, and San Mateo had a median sale price of $2,300,000.

Which of these cities has the best downtown?

San Mateo has the largest downtown, with 171 restaurants and shops. San Carlos has a smaller, walkable downtown on Laurel Street with free parking. Belmont does not have a long walkable downtown strip, but Carlmont Village covers groceries and everyday errands.

What high school serves Belmont and San Carlos?

Carlmont High School serves all of Belmont and the northern part of San Carlos. Students in the southern part of San Carlos are assigned to Sequoia High School in Redwood City.

Which city is best for commuting to San Francisco?

San Mateo is the best of the 3 for commuting to San Francisco because it is centrally located with several Caltrain stops and quick access to 101, 92, and 280. From San Carlos, a commute to San Francisco during normal business hours usually means traffic.

How fast do homes sell in Belmont?

Homes in Belmont averaged just 12 days on market over the 12 months before this video was recorded. Well-priced homes in good locations and good condition sell quickly there.

Finding the Right Fit on the Peninsula

San Mateo, San Carlos, and Belmont are close together on a map, but they offer 3 very different ways to live. If you are deciding which of these cities fits your life, I would be glad to talk through what you are looking for and what your budget can buy in each one. I love having conversations with people who are thinking about a move to or within San Mateo County, and it would be my privilege to help.

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This article is copyrighted by Raziel Ungar and may not be reproduced or copied without express written permission.