Home Insurance in San Mateo, California
The median home value in San Mateo is $1,618,700, close to the San Mateo County median.
The typical home in San Mateo was built around 1965. About 44% of homes were built before 1960, about 3 points above San Mateo County's 40%. Aging wiring, roofing and plumbing in older homes can push up the cost to insure or rebuild them.
The housing stock in San Mateo is 51% single-family homes and 42% apartments in buildings with 5+ units.
In San Mateo, about 69% of owner-occupied homes have a mortgage - lenders require hazard insurance on every mortgaged home.
San Mateo has an owner-occupancy rate of 50% and a vacancy rate of 6%; unoccupied homes typically need a different coverage form.
Most homes in San Mateo - 55% - are primarily heated with natural gas.
FEMA rates San Mateo County's overall risk as Relatively High, led by earthquake (Relatively High). San Mateo County had 4,143 active NFIP flood policies as of September 2026. See the full San Mateo County home insurance overview for all FEMA hazard ratings and flood coverage details. Earthquake damage is excluded from a standard homeowners policy.
According to the NAIC homeowners insurance report (2023 data), a standard HO-3 homeowners policy in California carries a statewide average premium of $1,655 per year.
Key figures
| Median home value | $1,618,700 |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1965 |
| Owner-occupied share | 50% |
| Share of owner-occupied homes with a mortgage | 69% |
| Top county hazard | Earthquake (Relatively High) |
| Active NFIP policies in San Mateo County | 4,143 |
| Home insurance premium | $1,655 - statewide average (NAIC, 2023 data) |
Nearby towns
Sources
Data last updated: 2026-09-29
- U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (2024)
- FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025)
- FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3 (2026)
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owner-Occupied, and Homeowners Tenant and Condominium/Cooperative Unit Owners Insurance: Data for 2023 (published 2026) (2023)