San Mateo, CA vs Foster City, CA

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

MetricSan Mateo, CAFoster City, CA
Population103,10532,792
Median Household Income$153,504$199,143
Median Rent$3,077/mo$3,500+/mo
Median Home Value$1,618,700$1,838,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)116116
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income44.8%40.7%
Poverty Rate8.2%4.1%
Unemployment Rate3.8%4.2%
Violent Crime Rate /100k16868
Property Crime Rate /100k1,502775
Median AQI2727
Good AQI Days /yr281281
Summer Highs73°F80°F
Winter Lows45°F41°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute26.1 min29.4 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher19.722
College Degree Rate57.8%73.8%
Foreign-Born %36.2%49.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.2%-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; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.