Moving to
Foster City.

All Foster City data Compare Foster City

32,792people live here $199,143median household income▲ 147% above US $3,500+median rent per monthCensus top category $1,838,200median home value▲ 453% above US

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it's like to live in Foster City

Foster City is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Foster City deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a population that has been shrinking.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Above-average commute times
Shrinking population
High student-teacher ratio

How Foster City compares

Median household income

Foster City$199,143

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Foster City$3,500+

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median home value

Foster City$1,838,200

California avg$734,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Foster City

Based on Foster City's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$7,002

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $140,040 a year
41% of Foster City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$367,640

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $183,820
Homes cost 9.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingCensus top category

$3,500+/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,500+ a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,838,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $1,838,200 · 41% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.2% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 79% below US

68 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 775/100k · Foster City Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 13% above US

29 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 29.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 34% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

52%

Work from home

34%

Carpool

7.5%

Public transit

2.9%

Other

1.8%

Walk

1.7%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 105% above US

74% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

6 public schools inside the boundary

There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (19 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Foster City's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (34% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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