A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Pacifica$7,250/mo

Typical home $1.26M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $3,098/mo · Housing →

Millbrae$11,620/mo

Typical home $2.05M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.52% · or rent about $3,272/mo · Housing →

The difference: $4,370 a month, about $52,500 a year, between Millbrae and Pacifica.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Millbrae places higher on 11 of 22 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B−PacificaSafer than 53% of U.S. towns –MillbraeNot graded

Schools

A−PacificaBetter than 83% of districts in the state A−MillbraeBetter than 80% of districts in the state

Health

APacificaHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns AMillbraeHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns

9Pacifica

11Millbrae

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #387#88 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #27#422 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #506#82 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #57#296 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #259#36 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #441#262 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #184#20 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #150#16

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Pacifica’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

PacificaMillbrae

Snow a year0″0″

January low45°F 45°F

July high69°F 69°F

Growing season (days)365d 365d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th 91st

Outdoors & history

PacificaMillbrae

Trails42 mi 4 mi

Conserved land42.7%3.8%

National Register places2 1

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here6 —

Community

PacificaMillbrae

Library hours a week57 hrs 57 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

4 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PacificaMillbrae

Pacifica ↔ Millbrae4.5 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

PacificaMillbrae

People

Population 37,261Highest 22,689Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.8%Lowest CA: +6.1% +7.8%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 44.6±1.4Highest 18% above CA 43.7±1.8Lowest 15% above CA

Pacifica and Millbrae are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 18.2%±1.7Lowest CA: 22% 19%±1.9Highest CA: 22%

Millbrae and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 20.4%±1.7Highest CA: 15.7% 20.3%±1.9Lowest CA: 15.7%

Pacifica and Millbrae are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 48.9%Lowest CA: 37.1% 52.7%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.1%±1.2Lowest CA: 7.6% 6.4%±1.3Highest CA: 7.6%

Millbrae and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $160,523±$13kLowest 62% above CA $163,476±$11kHighest 65% above CA

Millbrae and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,249,800±$36kLowest 70% above CA $1,934,900±$91kHighest 163% above CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $3,098±$184Lowest 52% above CA $3,272±$163Highest 61% above CA

Millbrae and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $7,933Lowest 55% above CA $9,996Highest 95% above CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.4%±7.1Highest CA: 55.3% 49.5%±9Lowest CA: 55.3%

Pacifica and Millbrae are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 5.8%Lowest CA: 12% 6%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 67.7%Highest CA: 55.9% 60.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1966Highest 10 yrs older than CA 1962Lowest 14 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest 5% below CA 29 minHighest about the CA average

Work from home 23.6%±2.5Highest CA: 17.2% 22.2%±3.1Lowest CA: 17.2%

Pacifica and Millbrae are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 8.1%Highest 5.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 12.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.27Lowest 0.49Highest

Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (33%)San Francisco (22%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MillbraeFew work in Pacifica

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 42.7%Highest 3.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 42.1 miHighest 4.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.4 miHighest 1.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 17Highest 15Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.7Lowest 136Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #75 of 574 in CA #63 of 574 in CA

School district Jefferson Union High · PacificaMillbrae Elementary · San Mateo Union High

High school in town Terra Nova HighMills High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.0Lowest 20.5Highest

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Pacifica neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pacifica’s Town Square.

Millbrae neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Millbrae’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Pacifica and Millbrae

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Pacifica

+ Compare

Daly City101,964 people · $1.12M homes

+ Compare

San Bruno42,307 people · $1.21M homes

+ Compare

South San Francisco64,305 people · $1.19M homes

Towns like Pacifica

+ Compare

Martinez36,903 people · $860K homes

+ Compare

Fountain Valley56,258 people · $1.07M homes

+ Compare

Cypress49,498 people · $914K homes

+ Compare

Benicia26,749 people · $810K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Pacifica vs Millbrae

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $4,370 more a month in Millbrae

Millbrae places higher on 11 of 22 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

4 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Pacifica and Millbrae

Bordering Pacifica

Towns like Pacifica

Post to Pacifica

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