MILLBRAE REFERENCE · FACTS & SOURCES
Millbrae at a glance.
A few numbers can orient a reader, but only when the year, method, and source stay attached. This page is a compact factual primer—not a timeless profile.
Checked: August 21, 2026. Census estimates and survey figures have their own reference dates; City and County pages may retain older snapshots. We show the vintage next to each figure instead of blending them.
The quick profile
Small in area, connected in the region.
These figures answer “what kind of place is it?” before the deeper topic guides take over.
POPULATION
22,869 estimated residents.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 population estimate is 22,869. The 2020 decennial Census counted 23,216 residents; those are different products and should not be treated as a contradiction.
Check Census QuickFacts ↗LAND AREA
3.27 square miles.
Census QuickFacts reports 3.27 square miles of land area for 2020. The City and County describe the city in rounded terms as about 3.2 square miles.
See the Census geography row ↗INCORPORATION
January 14, 1948.
Millbrae incorporated on January 14, 1948. The date is supported by the City, San Mateo County LAFCO, and the historical record used in the hub’s history guide.
Open the County profile ↗LOCATION
On the San Francisco Peninsula.
Millbrae is in San Mateo County, west of SFO, south of San Francisco, and north of Silicon Valley. Its location helps explain why local life and regional movement overlap.
Read the City overview ↗01 · The people behind the number
Millbrae’s profile is more varied than “a small city.”
In Census 2020–2024 estimates, 20.3% of residents are 65 or older, 19.0% are under 18, and 40.8% are foreign-born. The Census also reports that 48.7% of residents age five and over speak a language other than English at home.
These figures are demographic context, not individual descriptions. They suggest why a useful local guide needs schools, senior resources, multilingual access, libraries, transit, businesses, and cultural institutions in the same map.
Source and reference period: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Millbrae city, California ↗.
02 · Housing and household context
Housing numbers need a survey year too.
Census QuickFacts reports 8,121 households for 2020–2024 and 2.76 persons per household.
The owner-occupied housing-unit rate is 60.8% for 2020–2024. This describes occupancy patterns, not whether a particular home is available or affordable.
For 2020–2024, the Census reports a median gross rent of $3,272 and a median value of owner-occupied housing units of $1,934,900. These are statistical summaries, not quotes for a current listing.
The City’s Housing Element and planning pages own current policy, programs, project review, and affordable-housing resources.
Data source: Census QuickFacts ↗. Policy source: Millbrae planning and growth guide.
03 · How the city functions
Regional access is part of the local fact pattern.
Millbrae’s geography places homes, schools, commercial corridors, SFO, highways, and a regional rail interchange close together. The City identifies BART, Caltrain, SamTrans, and SFO access as part of its location story; the station guide adds live, operational details.
Use the live station guide for departures and agency links.
Use neighborhoods and parks for formal maps and lived anchors.
Use planning documents and civic agendas for proposals, decisions, and public review.
Sources: City About Millbrae ↗ · Millbrae Station and SFO guide.
04 · What not to combine
Older official facts still have a role.
A source can be authoritative for its date without being the newest estimate.
Keep exploring
Facts become useful when they lead somewhere.
Start with the reference, then move into Millbrae’s history, schools, public resources, businesses, neighborhoods, transit, stories, and current civic information.
