Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

San Mateo, CA

Population: 104,165 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
62/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$19.3B
Per Capita
$185,341
Total Revenue
$13.2B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
45.3%$8.7B
General Administration
15.8%$3.1B
Utilities
14.4%$2.8B
Housing & Community Development
9.4%$1.8B
Police
6.1%$1.2B
Education
3.8%$735.0M
Fire Protection
2.2%$422.5M
Public Welfare
1.5%$284.5M
Parks & Recreation
1.1%$211.9M
Sewerage
0.3%$60.1M
Interest on Debt
0.1%$12.3M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.0%$1.0M
Sales Tax
0.2%$32.3M
Income Tax
0.2%$21.6M
Charges & Fees
0.0%$672K
Other
21.0%$2.8B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$11,237/person
Fire Protection$4,056/person
Parks & Recreation$2,035/person
Education$7,057/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)46/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how San Mateo stacks up against another city.

vs Los Angeles, CAvs San Diego, CAvs San Jose, CA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in California

Los Angeles, CA

Pop. 3.9M

D
Total Spending
$331.6B
Per Capita
$85,432

San Diego, CA

Pop. 1.4M

C
Total Spending
$59.9B
Per Capita
$43,306

San Jose, CA

Pop. 1.0M

A
Total Spending
$18.0B
Per Capita
$17,934

San Francisco, CA

Pop. 851K

D
Total Spending
$156.7B
Per Capita
$184,131

Compare San Mateo With

Los Angeles, CA

Spending: $85,432/person · Grade: D

San Diego, CA

Spending: $43,306/person · Grade: C

San Jose, CA

Spending: $17,934/person · Grade: A

San Francisco, CA

Spending: $184,131/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

San Mateo, CA spends $185,341 per resident, based on total expenditures of $19.3B for a population of 104,165. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (62/100).

San Mateo, CA has total expenditures of $19.3B and total revenue of $13.2B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

San Mateo, CA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

San Mateo, CA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (62/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

Last updated: