Blog > San Mateo vs. Redwood City: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
San Mateo vs. Redwood City: Home Prices, Sizes and the City Line (2026)
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San Mateo and Redwood City sit about 7 miles apart, center to center, both in San Mateo County. Here’s how they compare on what houses, condos and townhomes sold for in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, and on the things that change at the city line: trains, electricity and transfer tax.
The short answer
- Houses: the median sale was $2.22M in San Mateo and $2.3M in Redwood City, so a typical Redwood City house cost 4% more than one in San Mateo.
- Per square foot: $1,309 in San Mateo and $1,286 in Redwood City; the median house was 1,728 sq ft in San Mateo and 1,760 sq ft in Redwood City, on a 5,866-sq-ft lot versus a 6,500-sq-ft lot.
- Competition: 75% of San Mateo houses sold over asking, against 70% in Redwood City.
- Condos and townhomes: a median of $866K in San Mateo (298 sales) and $1.13M in Redwood City (110 sales).
- At the city line: they differ on transfer tax ($12,200 versus $2,200 on a $2 million sale).
See it live
- Open San Mateo vs. Redwood City in the City Match-Up: homes for sale now and the last 90 days of sales, side by side.
- Talk to a Property Nerd about the streets that fit in either city.
Houses, side by side
Houses (MLS property type “single family home”) sold in the 12 months to October 27, 2026. The last three rows count listings whose description says so, so they undercount.
| San Mateo | Redwood City | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 506 | 499 |
| Median price | $2.22M | $2.3M |
| Median per sq ft | $1,309 | $1,286 |
| Median size | 1,728 sq ft | 1,760 sq ft |
| Median lot | 5,866 sq ft | 6,500 sq ft |
| Median bedrooms | 3 | 3 |
| Sold over asking | 75% | 70% |
| Median sale vs. asking | 9.0% over | 4.1% over |
| Sold for $2 million or less | 43% | 37% |
| Listing says single-story | 13% | 14% |
| Listing mentions a pool | 10% | 11% |
| Listing mentions an ADU or in-law unit | 8% | 9% |
Condos and townhomes, side by side
Condos and townhomes sold in the same 12 months.
| San Mateo | Redwood City | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | 298 | 110 |
| Median price | $866K | $1.13M |
| Median per sq ft | $772 | $796 |
| Median size | 1,216 sq ft | 1,400 sq ft |
| Sold over asking | 28% | 23% |
At the city line
Some costs and services follow the city, not the mailing address.
| San Mateo | Redwood City | |
|---|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County | San Mateo County |
| Caltrain | San Mateo, Hayward Park and Hillsdale | Redwood City |
| BART | none | none |
| VTA light rail | no | no |
| Electricity | WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E | WestLight Energy, delivered by PG&E |
| Transfer tax on a $2 million sale | $12,200 | $2,200 |
| Eichler tracts | 2 tracts on our Eichler index | 2 tracts on our Eichler index |
Electricity is the default provider for most homes; some addresses differ. Transfer tax is the county tax plus any city tax, by the rates on our calculators page; who pays it is set in the contract. School district lines don’t follow city lines, so check the district’s own boundary lookup for any address. See City of San Mateo’s transfer tax.
How we counted
Closed sales reported to the MLS and read through the IDX feeds that power our home search, with repeat records removed (same MLS number and sale date). A sale is placed by the city in its MLS address, so a few homes in unincorporated pockets count under the nearby city. Medians follow the mix of homes, and cities are averages: blocks within each can differ a lot. Past sales aren’t a forecast or the value of any one home.
Go deeper
- San Mateo: San Mateo city guide, San Mateo neighborhoods compared, San Mateo home types by the numbers and the San Mateo housing market by the numbers.
- Redwood City: Redwood City city guide, Redwood City neighborhoods compared, Redwood City home types by the numbers and the Redwood City housing market by the numbers.
- More comparisons: Redwood City vs. San Carlos, San Mateo vs. Burlingame, Belmont vs. San Mateo, Redwood City vs. Menlo Park, San Carlos vs. San Mateo and San Mateo vs. Foster City.
Weighing the two?
We’ll compare the homes and streets you’re actually considering, on both sides of the line, 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.