Foster City, CA

Census place 0625338 · pop 32,792

C63/ 100
😐 Meh
A
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Obesity17.8% · top 1%
🚽 Cost$1,838,200 · bottom 1%
💡 Did you know?

A planned community engineered atop former tidal marshland on Brewer Island in San Francisco Bay.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.54% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Housing cost$1,838,2001

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$1,838,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$4,056/mo2

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$4,056/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Natural disaster riskCounty-level99/10011

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)-3.5%13

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-3.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Homeownership50.8%17

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

50.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Commute time29 min19

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

29 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Income inequality0.4350

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.5%56

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property crime rate676/100k76

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

676 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Violent crime rate69/100k80

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

69 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property-tax burden0.54%87

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.54% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Poverty rate4.1%91

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

4.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Physical inactivity16.0%93

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

16.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Air quality (AQI)County-level27 AQI96

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

27 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Broadband access98.1%97

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

98.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Bachelor's degree or higher73.8%97

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

73.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Median household income$199,14398

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$199,143 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Uninsured adults3.6%99

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

3.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Poor mental health11.2%99

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

11.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Adult smoking5.8%99

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

5.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Adult obesity17.8%100

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

17.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Frequently asked

Is Foster City, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Foster City scores 63/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Foster City, CA?
Foster City reports 69 violent crimes per 100k and 676 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Foster City, CA expensive to live in?
Foster City has a median home value of $1,838,200 and typical rent around $4,056/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Foster City, CA?
Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,838,200) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Foster City, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (17.8%) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: A planned community engineered atop former tidal marshland on Brewer Island in San Francisco Bay.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.