Mills Estates

Mills Estates is one of Millbrae’s largest neighborhoods. It stretches from Magnolia, near El Camino all the way up to Highway 280.

On its eastern end Mills Estates is the home of Mills High School, Millbrae’s central and only high school. (I think Capachino High School is actually for San Bruno.) Mills High School is an outstanding high school, having test scores significantly above California and the national average. In this sense, it is like many of the schools on the Peninsula and partly justifies the high property prices here.

The neighborhood is also very nice, getting increasingly more attractive the farther west you go. You get a number or nice, larger style Ranch homes and Eichler houses up here as well. Both are of the larger more luxurious variety that were so popular among the upper middle class in the 1960’s and 70’s. (Three quarters of the homes here were built in the 1960’s.)

Up on the far western end of Mills Estates you get some of the best views of the Bay that you will find in Millbrae. Really attractive.

This is definitely million dollar home territory. Home prices range from $850,000 to about $1.5 million with the median single family home price being just over $1.2 million. (There are currently a couple of homes from the 80’s and 90’s that are the exception to this general rule—one is up for $2.1 million, the other $1.5.)

Far more affordable, of course, are the condos that hide up on Vallejo Drive by Highway 280. These range from about $280K to $550, with about a third of them being on sale due to foreclosure. (In the rest of the neighborhood the foreclosure percentage falls to about 1 out 3.) They also have very nice views from spots, though there is something about them that make them feel like an old folks home. (It may be the old folks who seem to make up the majority of the residents.

Overall this is a pretty great neighborhood for those families lucky enough to be able to afford it. (In case you are wondering the monthly mortgage payment on your average million dollar home would be about $5200.) Though it is probably way out the league of most of us.

Mills Estates is a large, upper middle-class neighborhood within the southern part of Millbrae. It is a safe and reclusive area, making it a perfect family-friendly environment for the perspective resident. The area encompasses about two dozen long, windy roads spanning about 1.5 square miles of suburban terrain, well over the size of any other neighborhood within the city. Mills Estates is also exclusively residential, totaling about 7,000 residents. Demographically speaking, the area is predominately white with asian families making up a large minority (60%, 35% respectively).

Situated along the beautiful San Francisco peninsula, Mill Estates residential quarters has a lot to offer. The bulk of homes are priced a little above 1 million dollars. And according to the 2010 US Census, the median household income is about $93,000/year with rents approaching $1,800/month. Aesthetically speaking, the area is quaint with somewhat luxurious suburban amenities. Homes vary in architecture and are split between one and two-stories in size. They sit on large properties (compared to the typical Millbrae property) with lush green trees and trimmed bushes. They also provide moderately large driveways with two-car garages. Most of the westerly homes sit on the steep hillside and afford views of the distant and vast Millbrae suburbs. If you’re looking to rent, nice, modern condos and apartment buildings are clumped around Vallejo Drive.

While close to Interstate 280, Mill Estates is also within proximity of the San Andreas Lake and accompanying woodlands. The area acts as a great escape for locals who like to hike the miles of hilly terrain. Also, Hills Peninsula Medical Center is situated just outside the neighborhood’s quarters (just two blocks east).