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Living in Redwood City, CA

Suburb in California

Redwood City is a suburb in California, home to about 82,000 people, with 4.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Redwood City a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 18 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Easy flying: SFO is 11 mi away
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
  • Mild summers: highs around 80°F

👎 Cons

  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.92M, and rent is $4,600 a month

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Redwood City ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
82,000
4.5 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
60°F / 80°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$1.92M
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$4,600/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
110
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.54% property tax
Safety
0.6× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
7 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
18
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
54%
4 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SFO
11 mi away

Living in Redwood City: common questions

What is the cost of living in Redwood City?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.92M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,600 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 110, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Redwood City?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.54% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Redwood City safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.6× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Redwood City?

Redwood City has mild winters: winter days average around 60°F and summer days around 80°F.

Does Redwood City get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.47 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Redwood City?

The nearest major airport is SFO, about 11 mi away.

How Redwood City scores

Each bar compares Redwood City with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Big city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly walkable Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Mild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Fast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Private AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Poor
💸Low taxes Average
💼Job market Excellent
🏥Healthcare Excellent
🎓Education Excellent
🧸Kids & family Excellent
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Excellent
🎭Culture Excellent
🛡️Safety Very safe
🌪️Few natural disasters Average
☀️Sunny Good
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Excellent

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Is Redwood City right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.