The wealth of its residents combined with an abundance of luxury homes, highly touted schools and specific zoning make Hillsborough an exclusive town.
Located roughly 17 miles south of San Francisco in San Mateo County, Hillsborough is a community of roughly 11,000 and is considered one of the wealthiest towns in America.
BusinessWeek recently ranked it as the fifth wealthiest town in the nation, with an average household net worth of $1.668 million. Business Insider ranked the town as the 37th best suburb nationally citing its virtually nonexistent crime, high median household income and ranked schools.
According to School Digger, the Hillsborough City Elementary School District is the no. 5 best district in California. The district features three elementary schools and one middle school.
These public schools, along with several private schools, represent some of the only non-residential properties in town, as Hillsborough has no commercial zoning. Other non-residential properties include town and county government facilities, a golf course, a country club and a small park.
In short, all errands require a car and a trip to nearby Burlingame or San Mateo. The average resident commutes 26 minutes to work.
The town is known for its hilly topography and grid layout, which combine to make navigating a challenge for non-locals.
Luxury homes in Hillsborough
Because town zoning and subdivision ordinances require a 2,500-square-foot minimum house size on a lot of at least 0.5 acres, the community is home to a plethora of homes valued above $3 million.
Depending on the source, the town’s median home price is said to be between $3.4 million and $4 million.
As of March 28, all the homes listed for sale in the town were priced at $2.7 million and above, with several homes in the $18 million range. The largest inventory of for-sale homes are priced between $3 million and $6 million.
The town is home to one of the largest residences in the nation, a 65,000-square-foot home dubbed Carolands.
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