Foster City, CA vs San Mateo, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricFoster City, CASan Mateo, CA
Population32,792103,105
Median Household Income$199,143$153,504
Median Rent$3,500+/mo$3,077/mo
Median Home Value$1,838,200$1,618,700
Cost of Living (US = 100)116116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income40.7%44.8%
Poverty Rate4.1%8.2%
Unemployment Rate4.2%3.8%
Violent Crime Rate /100k68168
Property Crime Rate /100k7751,502
Median AQI2727
Good AQI Days /yr281281
Summer Highs80°F73°F
Winter Lows41°F45°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute29.4 min26.1 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher2219.7
College Degree Rate73.8%57.8%
Foreign-Born %49.5%36.2%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.1%-2.2%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.