Downtown San Mateo

San Mateo, CA

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Downtown San Mateo - San Mateo, CA

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One of the Bay Area’s best dining destinations

Dining Great Location Public Transportation Culture Diverse

A food lover's dream, Downtown San Mateo is known for its award-winning food scene. Downtown San Mateo is filled with international grocery stores, but you’ll also love being able to indulge in a wide range of cuisines. Locals claim Downtown San Mateo has some of the best ramen spots in the Bay Area, while Michelin-starred restaurants make the area even trendier. As the heart of the city, Downtown San Mateo has chic bars and boutiques too. Downtown San Mateo is also home to the city’s biggest events and cultural celebrations.

Residents flock to San Mateo Central Park, which is a popular spot for concerts. Great for commuters, Downtown San Mateo has a train station that will take passengers throughout the Bay Area, including San Francisco, which is about 20 miles north of San Mateo. With palm-tree-lined streets and colorful murals, Downtown San Mateo has something for every renter to enjoy. Rental options range from upscale apartments with rooftops to charming bungalows.

Rent Trends

As of March 2025, the average apartment rent in Downtown San Mateo is $2,629 for a studio, $3,029 for one bedroom, $3,801 for two bedrooms, and $4,925 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Downtown San Mateo has increased by 3.4% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 445 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $2,629/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 722 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $3,029/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 1,007 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $3,801/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 1,429 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $4,925/month

    Average Rent

Transportation

98

Walker's Paradise

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

Lace up your walking shoes because this area is considered a walker’s paradise.

47

Some Transit

out of 100 TransitScore® Rating

You'll likely want a car when living in this area since it has few transit options.

79

Very Bikeable

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

This area is very bikeable. You’ll find a variety of bike paths and lanes.

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Japanese Tea Garden (San Mateo)
  • San Mateo Arboretum
  • Shoreline Parks
  • Coyote Point Recreational Area
  • CuriOdyssey

Airports

  • San Francisco International
  • Metro Oakland International

Top Apartments in Downtown San Mateo

Houses for Rent in Downtown San Mateo

Property Management Companies

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2025.