The Town FilesEmerald Lake Hills, California
Community in San Mateo County · population 4,406 (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
- 2
- Median age
- 45.4
Emerald Lake Hills is a community of 4,406 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 100% of California towns, more upscale than 99% of California towns, better for cycling than 87% of California towns.
How Emerald Lake Hills 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 Emerald Lake Hills 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. 90.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Emerald Lake Hills | 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 | 90.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Emerald Lake Hills
| People | Emerald Lake Hills | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.2% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 75.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 18.2% | — |
| Work from home | 40.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 99.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Emerald Lake Hills
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
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Emerald Lake Hills since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 5, 1998 about 9.9 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 Emerald Lake Hills itself the ACS puts it at 2.6%.
Towns near Emerald Lake Hills
- San Carlos, CA2.3 mi · 30,722 people · home $2,000,001
- Woodside, CA3.0 mi · 5,309 people · home $2,000,001
- North Fair Oaks, CA3.5 mi · 14,027 people · home $1,276,900
- Atherton, CA3.6 mi · 7,188 people · home $2,000,001
- Belmont, CA3.7 mi · 28,335 people · home $2,000,001
- West Menlo Park, CA4.0 mi · 3,930 people · home $2,000,001
- Redwood City, CA4.4 mi · 84,292 people · home $1,801,700
- Stanford, CA6.0 mi · 21,150 people · home $2,000,001
Emerald Lake Hills questions
Is Emerald Lake Hills, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Emerald Lake Hills scores better for retirees than 83% of California towns and quieter than 69%. 18.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.4).
How much does a house cost in Emerald Lake Hills?
The median owner-occupied home in Emerald Lake Hills 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 Emerald Lake Hills?
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 Emerald Lake Hills get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Emerald Lake Hills since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 5, 1998. 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)