Foster City, California
Among the top 4% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 4% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 55% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 79% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 91% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 2% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Foster City is a mid-size city in California with about 33,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, airport distance, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on monthly rent and cost of living.
Official websitefostercity.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
77%51%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.8 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$191k98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$94kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$1.7M99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$4kbetter than 1% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.55%better than 85% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden21.04%better than 4% of US places
Unemployment4.3%better than 46% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)65°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation18.3 in12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days231 daysbetter than 46% of US places
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 86% of US places
Comfortable Days229 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk77.7better than 30% of US places
Air Quality36 AQIbetter than 84% of US places
School Quality88.0better than 80% of US places
Violent Crime771/100kbetter than 48% of US places
Property Crime1971/100kbetter than 20% of US places
Community
Population33,21596th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.945th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5992nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9646th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+592nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)31.1%10th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.1%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)7.4%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)53.0%100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.3%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time32 minbetter than 15% of US places
Walkability10.6/20better than 88% of US places
Airport Distance8 mibetter than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access97.3%better than 89% of US places
Amenities Nearby175.82better than 67% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 68% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Foster City an affordable place to live?
- Foster City is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $94k, better than 0% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Foster City?
- The median home value in Foster City is $1.7M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Foster City?
- Median household income in Foster City is $191k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Foster City?
- Median gross rent in Foster City is $4k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Foster City safe?
- Foster City is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 771/100k (better than 48%). Property crime is 1971/100k.
- What is the weather like in Foster City?
- Foster City averages 65°F in July and 51°F in January, with 18.3 in of annual precipitation and about 231 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Foster City?
- Public-school quality in Foster City is above average, scoring better than 80% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Foster City?
- The average one-way commute in Foster City is 32 min.
Other places in San Mateo County
Places near Foster City
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)