San Carlos

San Carlos is located between Redwood City and Belmont, with a population just under 30,000. Once part of the expansive Rancho de las Pulgas holdings and now a major biotech hub, “The City of Good Living” is a charming and central peninsula town with a quaint, historic downtown, local museums, and acres of open space. Along revitalized Laurel Avenue, shops and restaurants bustle with locals. The newly built San Carlos Museum houses artifacts from the Ohlone Indian and Spanish eras and the nearby Hiller Aviation Museum is a must for flying buffs. The museum specializes in helicopter and aviation history and has more than 40 aircraft replicas.  Overlooking neat streets lined with single family homes stretching to the Bay Shore, San Carlos’ Pulgas Ridge offers miles of scenic hiking and biking trails for the outdoor enthusiast

The outstanding schools, transportation options, and unusually low crime rate add to the lure of this area.  San Carlos has its own elementary and middle school district, and all of the schools consistently rank near the top in the State. Students currently travel to Carlmont High School in Belmont or Sequoia High School in Redwood City to receive their public secondary education. In late 2014, the school district studied the viability of creating a 400 student high school on Old County Road, but there would be no athletic facilities at this school and a proposed adjacent park would be used instead.  The local community is challenging this proposed school, and there has been no firm decision made as to proceeding.  San Carlos also holds the distinction as the first city in California to open a charter school.

San Carlos' hilly terrain make for some incredible views of the bay, but the hillside lots can also leave residents with very little usable yard space, so access to 14 local parks sitting on over 143 acres of land make up for this difference. On the weekends the sports fields are full, and residents like to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. Another incredible local benefit is access to the SamTrans bus system and Caltrain system, which provide access throughout San Mateo County and up and down the peninsula with 35 minute limited stop service to San Francisco. The San Carlos downtown is also home to Hot Harvest Nights and is a must visit during the summer months for dining and other festivals.

San Carlos is located in the 94070 zip code and consists of mainly single-family homes, but there are condominium and townhome properties located closer to the downtown area and at the top of the mountain ridge along Crestview drive. Below is the historical market data for the city.

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