Highlands is a community in San Mateo County, California, home to about 2,450 people across 1.3 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 94402.
Homes sold for a median of $1,372 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly San Mateo; part is in Highlands
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Highlands. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Highlands’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | San Francisco International Airport (SFO)5 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Oakland, CA16 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA328 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Highlands; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
It’s the 853rd largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
San Mateo County grew from 12,094 residents in 1900 to 764,442 in 2020.
San Mateo County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 75°F in summer, and winter lows average 45°F. About 19.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Francisco Intl Ap, CA weather station (5 miles away).
477,938 jobs at 21,569 businesses in San Mateo County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
411 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Highlands.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 10 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 29 |
| Dentists | 29 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 28 |
| Mental health providers | 244 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 44 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 23 |
| Pharmacies | 4 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by San Mateo-Foster City, San Mateo County Office of Education, San Mateo Union High. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baywood ElementarySan Mateo | K–5 | 489 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Highlands ElementarySan Mateo | K–5 | 379 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Parkside MontessoriSan Mateo | K–8 | 418 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| San Mateo Park ElementarySan Mateo | K–5 | 340 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Sunnybrae ElementarySan Mateo | K–5 | 346 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Hillcrest at Youth Services CenterSan Mateo | 5–12 | 16 | Alternative Education | 2.6 mi |
| Borel MiddleSan Mateo | 6–8 | 903 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Gateway CenterSan Mateo | 6–12 | 11 | Alternative Education | 2.6 mi |
| Margaret J. KempSan Mateo | 7–12 | — | Alternative Education | 2.9 mi |
| Aragon HighSan Mateo | 9–12 | 1,658 | Public | 0.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Matthew Catholic SchoolSan Mateo | K–8 | 625 | Roman Catholic | 0.6 mi |
| Odyssey SchoolSan Mateo | 6–8 | 50 | Nonsectarian | 1.7 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with San Mateo and Baywood Park.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.