The Town FilesWoodside, California
Town in San Mateo County · population 5,309 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $2,000,001
- Household income
- $250,001
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 46.4
Woodside is a town of 5,309 people in San Mateo County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 99% of California towns, better for cycling than 97% of California towns, more upscale than 96% of California towns.
How Woodside ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Woodside is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.0 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 28% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 87.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Woodside | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 87.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1965 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Woodside
| People | Woodside | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 15.4% | — |
| Work from home | 30.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 99.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Woodside
July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 40.5°F. About 19.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 18 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 6 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Woodside since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on January 11, 1951 about 8.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 5, 1998.
Severe weather in San Mateo County since 1996
San Mateo County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| August 22, 2020 | Fire | DR-4558: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in San Mateo County
San Mateo County had 416,422 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $196,441 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Woodside itself the ACS puts it at 2.5%.
Public schools in Woodside
3 public schools with 2,055 students, about 15.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside High | 9-12 | 1,646 | 16.8 |
| Woodside Elementary | K-8 | 367 | 11.8 |
| Kings Mountain Elementary | K-5 | 42 | 14.0 |
Towns near Woodside
- Emerald Lake Hills, CA3.0 mi · 4,406 people · home $2,000,001
- West Menlo Park, CA3.1 mi · 3,930 people · home $2,000,001
- Atherton, CA4.0 mi · 7,188 people · home $2,000,001
- Portola Valley, CA4.2 mi · 4,456 people · home $2,000,001
- North Fair Oaks, CA4.8 mi · 14,027 people · home $1,276,900
- Stanford, CA5.0 mi · 21,150 people · home $2,000,001
- San Carlos, CA5.3 mi · 30,722 people · home $2,000,001
- Palo Alto, CA6.6 mi · 68,572 people · home $2,000,001
Woodside questions
Is Woodside, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Woodside scores better for retirees than 87% of California towns and quieter than 72%. 23.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.4).
How much does a house cost in Woodside?
The median owner-occupied home in Woodside is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 8.0 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Woodside?
July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 40.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Woodside get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Woodside since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on January 11, 1951. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)