Foster City vs San Mateo
Foster City, California versus San Mateo, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Foster City and San Mateo score about the same overall (51 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Foster City | San Mateo |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $191k | $149k |
| Cost of Living | $94k | $94k |
| Home Value | $1.7M | $1.5M |
| Monthly Rent | $4k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.55% | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.04% | 22.22% |
| Unemployment | 4.3% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 64°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 18.3 in | 19.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 229 days | 229 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 77.7 | 90.8 |
| Air Quality | 36 AQI | 37 AQI |
| School Quality | 88.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 771/100k | 838/100k |
| Property Crime | 1971/100k | 2361/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 33,215 | 104,165 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 38.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+59 | D+59 |
| White (%) | 31.1% | 38.8% |
| Black (%) | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.4% | 24.7% |
| Asian (%) | 53.0% | 26.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 10.6/20 | 11.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 97.3% | 94.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 175.82 | 57.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Foster City or San Mateo more affordable?
- San Mateo has the lower cost of living: its index is $94k, compared with Foster City's $94k and San Mateo's $94k. Median rent is $4k in Foster City versus $3k in San Mateo.
- Is Foster City or San Mateo safer?
- Foster City has the lower violent crime rate. Foster City reports 771/100k and San Mateo reports 838/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Foster City or San Mateo?
- The median home value is $1.7M in Foster City and $1.5M in San Mateo, so homes are more affordable in San Mateo.