Blog > San Mateo Houses Under $1.5 Million: Where They Sold, Neighborhood by Neighborhood (2026)
San Mateo Houses Under $1.5 Million: Where They Sold, Neighborhood by Neighborhood (2026)
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Can you still buy a house in San Mateo for under $1.5 million? Yes: of the 1,009 houses that sold in San Mateo in the two years to October 27, 2026, 157 (16%) sold for less than $1.5 million. Here’s what they were, where they sold, and a one-click search of what that budget buys now.
The short answer
- Median price: $1.32M (all San Mateo houses: $2.15M).
- Typical house: 1,100 sq ft, 3 bedrooms.
- How many: 76 in the last 12 months, against 81 the year before.
- Bidding: 64% sold over asking.
- Where they sold most: Shoreview & Parkside (80), North Central & San Mateo Heights (22) and San Mateo Village & Lauriedale (13).
Shopping now?
- See what $1.5 million buys in San Mateo right now: Budget Lab opens on this city, budget and houses, live from the MLS.
- Mortgage Lab: what the payment looks like at today’s rates.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about where your budget goes furthest.
By bedrooms
San Mateo houses sold under $1.5 million, by bedroom count (groups with at least 3 sales).
| Bedrooms | Sales | Median price | Median sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 50 | $1.3M | 950 |
| 3 | 88 | $1.33M | 1,150 |
| 4 | 12 | $1.31M | 1,475 |
| 5+ | 6 | $1.45M | 1,729 |
Neighborhood by neighborhood
Our San Mateo neighborhood guides with at least 3 such sales, placed by map position; “share” is of all house sales in the neighborhood.
| Neighborhood | Sales | Share | Median price | Median sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoreview & Parkside | 80 | 56% | $1.31M | 1,105 |
| North Central & San Mateo Heights | 22 | 44% | $1.24M | 1,140 |
| San Mateo Village & Lauriedale | 13 | 18% | $1.4M | 950 |
| Downtown & Central | 11 | 39% | $1.31M | 1,270 |
| Mariner's Island & Lakeshore | 9 | 31% | $1.35M | 1,060 |
| Beresford & Hillsdale | 6 | 3% | $1.38M | 965 |
| Sunnybrae & 19th Avenue Park | 6 | 8% | $1.44M | 1,190 |
What you give up, and what you don’t
Share of listings that mention each feature, under $1.5 million and at $1.5 million or more in San Mateo.
| Listing mentions | Under $1.5 million | $1.5 million or more |
|---|---|---|
| Single-story | 10% | 13% |
| An ADU, in-law unit or guest house | 10% | 8% |
| A pool | 3% | 10% |
| Room for an ADU | 10% | 3% |
Reading it right
- Under a budget usually means smaller, older or in need of work. Check the size, condition and lot along with the price.
- A list price under your budget isn’t a sale price under it: 64% of these sold over asking. Our Offer Lab shows how much over, by price.
- Prices move. These are two years of sales; ask us what the same streets are selling for this month.
How we counted
Closed sales of houses (MLS property type “single family home”) with a San Mateo address between October 28, 2024 and October 27, 2026, reported to the MLS and read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, with repeat records from different feeds removed (normalized address plus sale date). Sales under $400,000 are left out: most are mobile homes in parks or partial-interest sales. Neighborhoods are our guides’ outlines, placed by each sale’s map position. Features are counted when the listing description mentions them. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home.
Go deeper
See San Mateo houses under $2 million, every home type in San Mateo, single-story homes in San Mateo, homes with ADU potential in San Mateo, The $1M Line and the most affordable ZIP codes in Silicon Valley.
Shopping for a house in San Mateo under $1.5 million?
A Property Nerd will show you the streets where your budget and your must-haves meet, and set up a search that catches new listings the day they hit. Call (408) 373-1660 or (650) 383-8606, or book a strategy call. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.