San Mateo County, California

County Distress Index: Healthy · 29.7 | 726,353 people · 56th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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San Mateo County, CA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.7 — 2774th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within California, it ranks 56th of 58 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. San Mateo County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 87.3 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 87.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 88
Homeownership Rate 94
Economic Vitality 47.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 25
House Price Change (YoY) 89
Legal Distress 16.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17
Consumer Credit Distress 7.8
Debt in Collections 3
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 16
Credit Card Delinquency 10
Uninsured Rate 7
Subprime Credit Population 5
Structural Poverty 7.2
Unemployment Rate 41
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 1
Child Poverty Rate 3
Disability Rate 3
Transfer Income Dependency 1

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. San Mateo County
San Mateo County, CA 29.7 Healthy —
Santa Cruz County, CA 41.1 Normal +11.4
Alameda County, CA 39.3 Normal +9.6
Santa Clara County, CA 27.6 Healthy -2.1
San Francisco County, CA 25.7 Healthy -4.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. San Mateo County
Forsyth County, GA 29.8 Healthy +0.1
St. Charles County, MO 30.1 Healthy +0.4
Rockingham County, NH 30.7 Healthy +0.9
Douglas County, CO 28.6 Healthy -1.2
Chester County, PA 28.3 Healthy -1.4

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for San Mateo County as a CSV file.

Find Help in San Mateo County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer 1-866-442-2529

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving San Mateo County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) 1-800-399-4529
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) 1-800-433-6251
Bay Area Legal Aid 1-800-551-5554
Legal Services of Northern California 1-800-822-9687
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) 1-800-337-0690
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) 1-888-245-4257
Legal Aid Society of San Diego 1-877-534-2524
Community Legal Aid SoCal 1-800-834-5001
California Indian Legal Services, Inc. (760) 746-8941
Central California Legal Services (800) 675-8001
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. (661) 325-5943

Self-Help Resources

California Courts Self-Help — Foreclosure and Mortgage Help Official California courts self-help resource with information on foreclosure procedures, homeowner rights, tenant protections in foreclosure, and links to free legal help.
LawHelpCA — Foreclosure Prevention Statewide legal aid directory connecting Californians with free legal information and local legal aid providers for foreclosure prevention, including links to self-help guides and intake forms.
California Attorney General — Homeowner Bill of Rights Official AG page explaining HBOR protections, including fact sheets on dual-tracking prohibition, single point of contact, and how to file a complaint about servicer violations.
DFPI Mortgage Relief Resources DFPI consumer resources for housing and mortgage issues, including information on PACE financing, foreclosure scam alerts, and how to file complaints against licensees.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in California →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for San Mateo County, California?

    San Mateo County has a County Distress Index score of 29.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,774th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in San Mateo County?

    The primary driver of distress in San Mateo County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 87.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does San Mateo County compare to neighboring counties?

    San Mateo County (29.7) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Santa Cruz County, CA (41.1); Alameda County, CA (39.3); Santa Clara County, CA (27.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Healthy zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). San Mateo County's score of 29.7 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

  • What data sources power San Mateo County's CDI score?

    San Mateo County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of San Mateo County?

    San Mateo County, California has a population of approximately 726,353 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.