Colma, CA

Town in San Mateo County, CA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

1,636

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

38.1

years ∙ half population younger than 38.1, half older

Diversity Index

61.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

33.2%

foreign-born population

66.8%Native

33.2% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Colma is a town within San Mateo County, California, United States.

Location

Town in San Mateo County, CA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC37.676697° N, 122.452821° W

DMS37° 40′ 36.11″ N, 122° 27′ 10.16″ W

Population Density & area

865.6/sq mi (333.9/km²)

Total Area

1.89 sq mi (4.9 km²)

Land Area

1.89 sq mi (4.9 km²) · 100%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

53.2% male

Male 53.2%

Female 46.8%

males per 100 females

Colma 113.6

San Mateo County 99.3

California 99.8

Nativity

33.2%

foreign-born population

66.8%Native

33.2% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Colma 33.2%

San Mateo County 35.7%

California 27%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

38.1

years ∙ half population younger than 38.1, half older

Colma

38.1

San Mateo County

40.9

California

37.9

Dependency ratio

61.7

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Colma 61.7

San Mateo County 59.6

California 60.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	22.6%	19.5%	22%
Working age (18-64)	61.9%	62.7%	62.3%
Senior (65+)	15.5%	17.8%	15.7%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	61.7	59.6	60.4
Child dependency ratio	36.6	31.2	35.2
Old-age dependency ratio	25.1	28.4	25.1

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

17.4%

Black

0.4%

Asian

25.2%

Hispanic

53.6%

Other

3.4%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

61.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Colma 61.8%

San Mateo County 71.8%

California 69.6%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Colma population

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Hispanic or Latino	53.6%	24.9%	40.2%
Mexican	33%	14.4%	32.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.6%	0.6%
Cuban	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	20.6%	9.8%	7%
Not Hispanic or Latino	46.4%	75.1%	59.8%
One race	43%	69.9%	55.4%
White	17.4%	34.7%	33.8%
Black or African American	0.4%	2%	5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Asian	25.2%	31%	15.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	1.1%	0.3%
Some Other Race	0%	0.9%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.4%	5.2%	4.4%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

74.7% family

Family 74.7%

Non family 25.3%

% family households

Colma 74.7%

San Mateo County 67.9%

California 67.8%

Average household size

3.47

persons per household

Colma

3.47

San Mateo County

2.76

California

2.84

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Colma population

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Total households	471	264,419	13,548,091
Average houshold size	3.47	2.76	2.84
Family households	352	179,491	9,191,176
Average family size	3.95	3.29	3.41
Married couple family	252	141,517	6,557,184
Other families	100	37,974	2,633,992
Male householder	23	12,212	857,732
Female householder	77	25,762	1,776,260
Non-family households	119	84,928	4,356,915
One-person households	77	64,481	3,289,307
Male householder	49	28,474	1,493,062
Senior (65+) living alone	19	8,355	460,668
Female householder	28	36,007	1,796,245
Senior (65+) living alone	7	17,867	886,142
Other living arrangements	42	20,447	1,067,608

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

615

housing units

Colma 615

San Mateo County 287,184

California 14,644,735

Occupancy status

76.6% occupied

Occupied 76.6%

Vacant 23.4%

vacancy rate

Colma 23.4%

San Mateo County 7.9%

California 7.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

56.8%

Single family houses

56.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

41.5%

Mobile homes

1.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1978

Half of houses were built before 1978, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

10.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

29.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

19.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

40.8%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	4.3	5	5
1–3 rooms	34.3%	25.2%	21%
4–6 rooms	51.2%	49.3%	54.7%
7+ rooms	14.5%	25.5%	24.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.5%	5.7%	5%
1 bedroom	30.7%	16.4%	13.2%
2 bedrooms	19%	24.9%	26.9%
3 bedrooms	37.1%	31.6%	32.8%
4+ bedrooms	12.7%	21.4%	22.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1978	1966	1976
Total housing units	615	287,184	14,644,735

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

53.3% owners

Renter-occupied 46.7%

Owner-occupied 53.3%

homeownership rate

Colma 53.3%

San Mateo County 58.5%

California 55.9%

Average household size

3.63

Owner-occupied

3.3

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Colma 3.63

San Mateo County 2.89

California 2.95

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Total occupied units	471	264,419	13,548,091
Year moved in
2020 or later	15.3%	23.8%	23.4%
2010 to 2019	35.2%	34.4%	41.2%
2000 to 2009	22.1%	17.4%	17%
1999 or earlier	27.4%	24.3%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	93%	92.5%	91.8%
1.01 to 1.50	3.6%	4%	5%
1.51 or more	3.4%	3.5%	3.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	1.7%	5.8%	7.1%
1 vehicle	30.8%	31.2%	30.7%
2 vehicles	32.7%	38.2%	36.3%
3 or more vehicles	34.8%	24.8%	25.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	67.1%	64.9%	64.4%
Electricity	26.8%	31.8%	29.5%
Solar	0%	0.6%	1.2%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.3%	0.1%	0.2%
All other fuels	0%	0.6%	1.6%
No fuel used	4.9%	2%	3%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	2.3%	1.1%	1.2%
No telephone service available	0%	1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$1,062,000

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Colma

$1,062,000

San Mateo County

$1,559,600

California

$734,700

Housing Cost Burden

48.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

48.9%

Owners without a mortgage

0.9%

Renters

45.2%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Property value
Median Value	$1,062,000	$1,559,600	$734,700
Under $100,000	10.4%	1.9%	4.2%
$100,000 - $200,000	0.4%	1.4%	2.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	0%	0.8%	4.3%
$300,000 - $500,000	0%	1.5%	17.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	27.1%	13.9%	42.1%
$1,000,000 and more	62.2%	80.6%	29.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	53.8%	66.1%	67.4%
Without a mortgage	46.2%	33.9%	32.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$4,001	$4,001	$2,946
Without a mortgage	$916	$1,113	$829
Gross rent
Median rent	$2,303	$2,922	$2,036

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

26.7%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Colma 26.7%

San Mateo County 53.7%

California 37.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

12.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Colma 12.7%

San Mateo County 9.7%

California 15.2%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

387

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.7%

K–12

78.6%

College / Undergraduate

12.4%

Graduate / Professional

2.3%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

28.1%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Colma

28.1%

San Mateo County

47.5%

California

46.8%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Total enrolled (age 3+)	387	168,281	9,917,839
Nursery / preschool	6.7%	6.9%	5%
K–12	78.6%	63.7%	64.9%
Kindergarten	2.3%	5.1%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	27.4%	17.9%	18.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25.8%	19.9%	19.9%
High School: Grades 9–12	23%	20.9%	21.5%
College or graduate school	14.7%	29.4%	30.1%
College, undergraduate	12.4%	22.6%	24.3%
Graduate, professional school	2.3%	6.8%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	28.1%	47.5%	46.8%
School type
Public school	82.7%	75%	85%
Private school	17.3%	25%	15%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,170

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

8.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.5%

HS graduate

24.2%

Some college no degree

28.1%

Associates degree

8.3%

Bachelors degree

20.8%

Graduate or professional degree

5.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

69.8% · 30.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

49.1% · 50.9%

HS graduate

68.6% · 31.4%

Some college no degree

58.1% · 41.9%

Associates degree

22.7% · 77.3%

Bachelors degree

49% · 51%

Graduate or professional degree

37.7% · 62.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Population (25+)	1,170	542,805	27,073,960
Less than 9th grade	8.2%	6%	8.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.5%	3.7%	6.5%
High school diploma or GED	24.2%	14.7%	20.5%
Some college, no degree	28.1%	15.1%	19.3%
Associate's degree	8.3%	6.8%	7.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.7%	53.7%	37.1%
Bachelor's degree	20.8%	29.6%	22.7%
Graduate or professional	5.9%	24.1%	14.4%
High School or higher	87.3%	90.2%	84.7%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$56,591

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$55,871

HS graduate

$47,083

Some college or associates

$52,367

Bachelors degree

$73,125

Graduate or professional degree

$86,759

Poverty Rate

2.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

11.4%

HS graduate

6.7%

Some college or associates

2.8%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Colma	San Mateo County	California
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$56,591	$83,175	$56,395
Less than high school graduate	$55,871	$36,470	$32,480
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$47,083	$46,394	$41,382
Some college or associate's degree	$52,367	$60,282	$50,157
Bachelor's degree	$73,125	$104,312	$80,933
Graduate or professional degree	$86,759	$159,182	$111,188
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	11.4%	17%	20%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	6.7%	9.7%	13.9%
Some college or associate's degree	2.8%	7%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.2%	3.4%	5%

Insights for Colma, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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