Foster City vs Sunnyvale
Foster City, California versus Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale score about the same overall (51 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Foster City | Sunnyvale |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $191k | $175k |
| Cost of Living | $94k | $94k |
| Home Value | $1.7M | $1.7M |
| Monthly Rent | $4k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.55% | 0.48% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.04% | 20.88% |
| Unemployment | 4.3% | 4.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 18.3 in | 13.4 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 | 232 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 77.7 | 62.6 |
| Air Quality | 36 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 88.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 771/100k | 596/100k |
| Property Crime | 1971/100k | 2460/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 33,215 | 154,573 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 35.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.64 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.09 |
| Political Leaning | D+59 | D+59 |
| White (%) | 31.1% | 27.5% |
| Black (%) | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.4% | 16.7% |
| Asian (%) | 53.0% | 49.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 10.6/20 | 14.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 97.3% | 95.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 175.82 | 73.43 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
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 Sunnyvale more affordable?
- Sunnyvale has the lower cost of living: its index is $94k, compared with Foster City's $94k and Sunnyvale's $94k. Median rent is $4k in Foster City versus $3k in Sunnyvale.
- Is Foster City or Sunnyvale safer?
- Sunnyvale has the lower violent crime rate. Foster City reports 771/100k and Sunnyvale reports 596/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Foster City or Sunnyvale?
- The median home value is $1.7M in Foster City and $1.7M in Sunnyvale, so homes are more affordable in Foster City.