Places › California › San Bruno

Living in San Bruno, CA

Suburb in California

San Bruno is a suburb in California, home to about 43,000 people, with 3.6 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is San Bruno a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 20 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Mild summers: highs around 70°F
  • Easy flying: SFO is 3 mi away
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by

👎 Cons

  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.38M, 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 San Bruno ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
43,000
3.6 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
59°F / 70°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$1.38M
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$4,600/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
116
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.5% property tax
Safety
0.8× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
7 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
20
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
44%
4 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SFO
3 mi away

Living in San Bruno: common questions

What is the cost of living in San Bruno?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.38M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,600 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 116, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in San Bruno?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.5% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is San Bruno safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.8× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in San Bruno?

San Bruno has mild winters: winter days average around 59°F and summer days around 70°F.

Does San Bruno 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 1.48 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to San Bruno?

The nearest major airport is SFO, about 3 mi away.

How San Bruno scores

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

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Is San Bruno 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.