San Mateo County School Districts, Town by Town

School districts and prices, town by town

Listed north to south, from Millbrae to Palo Alto, with Half Moon Bay on the coast last.

Town	K–8 district	High school district	Median price	Sales
Millbrae	Millbrae Elementary SD	San Mateo Union HSD	$2.4M	12
Burlingame	Burlingame SD	San Mateo Union HSD	$3.2M	15
Hillsborough	Hillsborough City SD	San Mateo Union HSD	$6.2M	13
San Mateo	San Mateo-Foster City SD	San Mateo Union HSD	$2.2M	44
Foster City	San Mateo-Foster City SD	San Mateo Union HSD	$2.6M	4
Belmont	Belmont-Redwood Shores SD	Sequoia Union HSD	$2.7M	21
San Carlos	San Carlos SD	Sequoia Union HSD	$2.8M	19
Redwood City	Redwood City SD; Redwood Shores is in Belmont-Redwood Shores SD	Sequoia Union HSD	$2.5M	41
Atherton	Menlo Park City SD, Las Lomitas ESD or Redwood City SD, by street	Sequoia Union HSD	$13M	5
Menlo Park	Menlo Park City SD; West Menlo is in Las Lomitas ESD; east of U.S. 101 is in Ravenswood City SD	Sequoia Union HSD	$4.0M	27
Palo Alto	Palo Alto Unified (K–12)	Palo Alto Unified	$4.2M	40
Half Moon Bay	Cabrillo Unified (K–12)	Cabrillo Unified	$1.9M	7

Median price and sales: single-family homes closed in September 2026, pulled from MLSListings Matrix by Elaine Li on Oct. 26, 2026. One month and a small number of sales per town, so read the median as a snapshot, not a valuation. Based on information from MLSListings, Inc. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed. SD = school district; HSD = high school district; ESD = elementary school district.

Five things a district map won’t tell you

District lines aren’t city lines. Redwood Shores is inside Redwood City but belongs to the Belmont-Redwood Shores district. Atherton and Menlo Park each split across several elementary districts.
K–8 and high school are separate systems. Most towns have one district for K–8 and another for 9–12; Palo Alto and Half Moon Bay are the K–12 exceptions. The high school district then assigns a specific school by address.
In the district doesn’t mean in that school. Popular schools can fill, and new students are sometimes placed at another school in the same district. Ask the district how assignment works this year.
Boundaries change. Enrollment shifts, openings and closures can move attendance areas. Use the district’s current lookup, not the listing description or a third-party map.
Enrollment has a calendar. TK and kindergarten registration usually opens the winter or spring before, and districts ask for proof of residence. Plan the move and the registration together.

Choosing by school district, in five steps

Write down the family goals. Your child’s grade now, how long you’ll stay, where everyone commutes, and the budget ceiling.
Narrow to two or three towns with the table above, weighing schools, price and commute together.
Check every address you’d offer on with the district’s own lookup tool, and save a screenshot.
Drive it on a weekday morning. School drop-off and the commute, at the real hour.
Run the full cost, including property tax, upkeep and resale. My cost guide covers what you’ll pay beyond the price.

Where to check first-hand

California School Dashboard: the state’s school performance data
San Mateo County Office of Education: directory of districts in the county
San Mateo Union High School District · Sequoia Union High School District · Palo Alto Unified School District

Each town guide lists its schools and neighborhoods: Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay. Relocating? My relocation guide shortlists towns by commute.

Questions parents ask

Is a home in a particular school district worth paying more for?

It depends on your child’s grade, how long you’ll stay, and whether you count resale. Some families weigh schools most; others weigh commute, space or condition. I’ll lay out price, carrying cost and resale for the addresses you’re considering so you can decide.

What should I watch for near a district boundary?

Check the exact address with the district’s own lookup tool, not the listing or a map app. Boundaries and assignments can change, so use this year’s information and call the district’s enrollment office if anything is unclear.

Can renters enroll in the local district?

Generally yes. Districts enroll by residence address, and renters can enroll like owners with proof of residence such as a lease and utility bills. Inter-district transfers are sometimes possible but never guaranteed.

Do school boundaries change?

Yes. Districts can change school assignments as enrollment shifts or schools open and close, and high school districts can adjust attendance areas. I always check by address with the current official information.

What is TK in California?

Transitional kindergarten is a free public school year before kindergarten. Starting in the 2025–26 school year, every California child who turns 4 by September 1 is eligible. Which schools offer it and when registration opens vary by district.

Can you tell me which school is best?

I’ll tell you which district and school an address is assigned to, where to find official data, and walk the neighborhood with you, but I won’t rank schools or neighborhoods. That’s what fair housing law requires, and “best” depends on what your child needs. The California School Dashboard is a good place to start.

Looking at an address? Send it to me.

I’ll check the school assignment with the district’s own tools and tell you what I find, usually the same day. No obligation.

Text Me the Address → WeChat: elaineli7 Relocation guide

Or call (650) 866-9266. English or 中文.

Fair housing: I’ll tell you which district serves an address and where to find official data, and I’ll walk the neighborhood with you. I won’t rank schools or tell you which neighborhood is “better” based on test scores or who lives there. That’s the law, and it’s also your call: you know what your child needs. District information is a town-level summary; confirm any address with the district.