The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in San Mateo County, CA for 2025

As of July 2017, an estimated 771,410 people were living in San Mateo County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 15.8 percent of them were 65 years of age or older. The percentage of these seniors with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia was 8.3 percent.

For seniors with dementia and their families who are considering memory care for the next step in their journey, help is close at hand. The San Mateo County area has nearly 20 memory care facilities ready to welcome new residents. Licensed as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs), these facilities must comply with specialized requirements beyond those of other RCFEs that only offer assisted living services. For example, memory care staff must receive additional training and the facility must be more secure.

• San Mateo County is home to world-class medical facilities, including those specializing in brain health and dementia care such as the Ron Robinson Senior Care Center at the San Mateo Medical Center, in the event of medical emergencies or illness.
• Compared to the rest of the country, the weather in San Mateo County is sunnier, drier and warmer. For seniors who prefer a year-round climate, temperatures in San Mateo County range from 42 degrees to 79 degrees in a typical year, with around 260 days of sunshine and many comfortable days in the 70s.
• The overall cost of living in San Mateo County is around 208 percent higher than the national average, but high housing prices drive most of this difference. In other categories of interest to seniors, expenses are closer to the national average, such as healthcare, which is actually 3 percent cheaper than the U.S. average.
• Seniors who select a memory care facility in San Mateo County can breathe more easily knowing that the county received passing grades for its air quality.

Memory Care costs in San Mateo County start around $7,742 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in San Mateo County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in California page.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in California page.

San Mateo County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in California are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in California page for more information about these laws.