Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Foster City grades A overall, 19th among California's 841 graded towns. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates. The median household earns $199K and its public schools beat 86% of California towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $1.8 million, 13.6 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 74% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Foster City, above both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Foster City is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. Only 25 of California’s 426 towns score higher on safety.
Where Foster City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Foster City | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.6% | 10.6% |
30,567 counted in 2010 and 33,805 in 2020; an estimated 32,411 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 4.1%, after 10.6% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Foster City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 9,327 in 1970, 33,805 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Foster City. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw15 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw19 mi LandmarkLombard StreetAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Foster City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Foster City.
Foster City fares better on crime within California than nationally, has less no health insurance than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 13.6 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $1.85M) costs more against local pay than in 89% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 2.1%. Foster City’s typical rent is $3,501 a month. Among households in the town, 51% own their home.
| Foster City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 51% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
That grade comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.85M.
Two of its 8 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The San Mateo-Foster City school district runs its public schools. 5 public schools serve Foster City, with 1,723 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowditch MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 929 | A |
| Beach Park ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 347 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 3.6% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide.
In Foster City, 16% of adults get no exercise outside work. For adults in the town, the share who have obesity is 18%.
| Foster City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Foster City | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.2% | 14.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected losses in Foster City break down as 58% from inland flooding and 41% from earthquakes. Compared with 94% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is higher. 10 flood insurance claims have been paid in the town since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 10.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 95% of California’s graded towns. Its B+ tops all 4 graded towns on its borders; Belmont (B−) comes closest.
Foster City’s property offense rate comes in at 7.6 per 1,000 residents. Its violent offense rate is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Foster City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 44.1°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 71.7°.
It almost never snows. In Foster City, the July high is 72°F.
| Foster City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 72°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 44°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Foster City has about as many jobs (19,316) as working residents, but only 1,383 people both live and work here. 34.2% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
4.1% of Foster City residents live below the poverty line. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 8% of working residents work locally. The town’s typical journey to work stands at 29 minutes. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Foster City dropped by 1,212, to 19,316.
| Foster City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 34% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $199,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest park or preserve is Sea Cloud Park, at 23 acres. In 25 parks and preserves, walkers have 9.0 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Foster City: 25, covering 110 acres.
| Foster City | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leo J Ryan Memorial Park | 2 mi | 20 |
| 2. Boothbay Park | 0.6 mi | 11 |
| 3. Catamaran Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
13 within 15 miles of the center of Foster City
About 4 of every 100 Foster City residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
5 notable people were born in Foster City.
City in California, United States
Foster City is a master-planned city located in San Mateo County, California, United States. Foster City is sometimes considered to be part of Silicon Valley for its local industry and its proximity to Silicon Valley cities. There are many notable companies headquartered in Foster City, such as Gilead Sciences, Zoox, and Replit. Visa and Sledgehammer Games were formerly headquartered in Foster City. The 2020 census put the population at 33,805, an increase of more than 10% over the 2010 census figure of 30,567. Foster City contains at least 10 bridges of which seven cross its lagoon, two go across Highway 92 and one is the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge which crosses the San Francisco Bay. Foster…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Foster City.
At #19 in CA, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Belmont (B+) comes closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster City | #19 | A | D− | B+ | A | A+ |
| San Mateo | #141 | B | D− | C | A | A |
| Redwood City | #160 | B | D− | C− | A | A |
| Belmont | #68 | B+ | D− | B− | A+ | A+ |
| Hayward | #528 | C− | D | D | C+ | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Foster City grades A overall, better than 86% of U.S. towns and #19 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, B+ for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
5 notable people were born here, including Francesca Corbett and Tim Federle.
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