San Carlos, CA vs Foster City, CA

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

MetricSan Carlos, CAFoster City, CA
Population29,61432,792
Median Household Income$237,470$199,143
Median Rent$2,854/mo$3,500+/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$1,838,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)116116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income36.2%40.7%
Poverty Rate3.3%4.1%
Unemployment Rate3.9%4.2%
Violent Crime Rate /100k181*68
Property Crime Rate /100k1,075*775
Median AQI2727
Good AQI Days /yr281281
Summer Highs80°F80°F
Winter Lows41°F41°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute24.6 min29.4 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher21.222
College Degree Rate70.2%73.8%
Foreign-Born %25.9%49.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-4.8%-4.1%

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 and $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above those. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.
* Rate of the agency that polices San Carlos (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.