Community Assessment - Health & Quality of Life in San Mateo
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Overview

Key Findings

Most San Mateo County residents seem to experience a very high quality of life, enjoy relative prosperity, and describe a booming economy. San Mateo County has a rich mix of racial and ethnic diversity, and the population is growing, albeit at an increasingly slower rate. Job growth has led to very low unemployment, and many see growing opportunities for themselves and their peers.

However, while the county overall excels by most conventional measures, there are subgroups within the population who do not share the wealth. Low-income families, in particular, seem disenfranchised from much of what is good about San Mateo County. And, while the county has a very high median household income, more than one out of four children lives in relative poverty.

Qualitative research (focus group) findings corresponding to this section can be found beginning on  Methodology page.

demographic description

population growth

• Between 1995 and 2000, the San Mateo County population is expected to increase 6.1%, from 687,500 to 729,500. Between 1990 and 2000, there is a projected 11.2% increase in population. ¹⁸³

• Though the population increased, the county’s rate of growth is below the state’s rate of growth, and this rate is expected to decline over the next several decades. The highest percentage increases between 1996 and 1997 were found in Brisbane (2.6%), Half Moon Bay (1.9%), and Redwood City (1.7%). ¹⁸⁴

• The greatest increases in population are projected in Daly City, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Foster City, Pacifica, Redwood City, and South San Francisco. ¹⁸⁵

• The number of San Mateo County households is expected to rise 3% between 1995 and 2000, from 246,460 to 253,790. The number of persons per household is also expected to rise from 2.74 to 2.83. ¹⁸⁶

• Immigration from other countries resulted in an annual average gain of 5,883 new county residents between 1991 and 1996. However, we lost an average of 5,300 people per year between 1991 and 1996 due to domestic outmigration (fewer people are moving to San Mateo County from other parts of the U.S. than are leaving). ¹⁸⁷

• About 10,000 children are born in San Mateo County annually, leading to a net increase of approximately 5,000 persons each year.

• A total of 24% of survey participants state that they have lived in San Mateo County for 30 or more years, while 37.6% have lived here for 10 to 29 years, and 38.3% have lived here less than 10 years. ¹⁸⁸

• Among survey respondents living in San Mateo County for less than 10 years, 29.5% say it is a job or spouse’s job that brought them here. ¹⁸⁹

gender & age

• The San Mateo County population is 50.3% female, and 49.7% male. ¹⁹⁰

• According to 1997 estimates, 25.7% of the San Mateo County population is under the age of 20, and 12.7% is aged 65 or older. ¹⁹¹

• Among an estimated 1997 population of 693,066 residents, there are 139,153 children under the age of 15, and 87,629 seniors aged 65 and older. ¹⁹²

• The 45-to-64 age segment is growing the fastest, with a 3.4% compounded annual growth rate between 1996 and 2000 (higher than the national rate of 1.6%). Seniors (those 65 and older) are the second-fastest growing segment, with a 1.7% compounded annual growth rate (versus 0.6% nationally).¹⁹³
• The following series of maps outlines the age makeup of San Mateo County by census tract.¹⁹⁴

Race/Ethnicity

• San Mateo County has a rich mix of racial and ethnic diversity. The racial/ethnic makeup of the county in 1996 was as follows: 366,433 White (51.5%); 154,540 Hispanic (21.7%); 35,173 African-American (4.9%); and 154,856 Asian/Other Race.(21.8%).¹⁹⁵

• More than 20 languages are spoken throughout San Mateo County, including English (68%), Spanish (14%), Tagalog (5%) and Chinese (4%).¹⁹⁶

• The child population of San Mateo County is even more diverse than the adult population, with no single race/ethnicity making up a majority. The racial/ethnic makeup of the 1996 child population was: 40% White; 32% Hispanic; 5% African-American; and 23% Asian/Other Races. ¹⁹⁷

• 1998 survey findings reveal that 75.7% of San Mateo County adults were born in the United States. Among foreign-born residents, most (62.3%) have lived in this country for more than 10 years. In contrast, 15.3% have lived in the U.S. for 5 years or fewer.¹⁹⁸

• The following series of maps illustrates the racial/ethnic makeup of the county at the census tract level. ¹⁹⁹

193  Economic Indicators and Outlook: San Mateo County, California. Economic Vitality Partnership, San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA). June 1997.

194   Peninsula Library System. Community Information Program. January 1999.

198  1998 San Mateo County Quality of Life Survey. Healthy Community Collaborative of San Mateo County. September 1998.

199  Peninsula Library System. Community Information Program. January 1999.

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