Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0227 homes sold in Foster City in the last year, at a typical $1.6M
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Foster City homes are listed.
Every place Foster City homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Foster City.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A third of Foster City’s sales are condos, at $1.3M less than a house
93 houses and 70 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 93 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $1,112CA $494
- Days to sell
- 16
- Sold over asking
- 61%
- Listings with a price cut
- 20%
typical sale · 70 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $689CA $561
- Days to sell
- 78
- Sold over asking
- 33%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
Townhouses: 64 sold, typical $1.4M
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.3 times the 2016 price
227 sales in the last year, against 334 in 2021 and a low of 222 in 2023. The typical sale went from $1.2M in 2016 to $1.6M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.6M buys in Foster City
Check a listing against what Foster City homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Foster City are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Foster City’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 227 sales.
If you’re buying in Foster City
- Shop in July. It brings about 27 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (65% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 23% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 101.6% of the list price on average; 50% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 40% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 25 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 31 a month), and the most competition: 82% close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (65%). December has the least competition (54%) but only about 6 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than California
| Foster City now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 50% | 75% | 78% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 40% | 59% | 70% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 23% | 21% | 12% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 101.6% | 106.4% | 107.8% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 25 | 16 | 12 | 44 |
30 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2014 low (15) and 51% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
23% in the last year, against 21% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 20%, condos 0%
A house typically sold for $2.2M in the last year (93 sales), a condo for $957K (70).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Foster City ranks 79th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Foster City is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 6.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Foster City, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Foster CityTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Foster City.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Belmont, San Carlos, Baywood Park and Hillsborough for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Foster City, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | 837 | $1.6M | $1,040 | 54% | 18 |
| Redwood City | 537 | $1.9M | $1,131 | 56% | 19 |
| San Carlos | 328 | $2.4M | $1,282 | 55% | 15 |
| Foster City | 227 | $1.6M | $948 | 50% | 25 |
| Belmont | 180 | $2.2M | $1,227 | 64% | 16 |
| Hillsborough | 137 | $6.2M | $1,511 | 37% | 24 |
| Baywood Park | 26 | $2.8M | $1,346 | 73% | 44 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Foster City, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Foster City. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Foster City with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Foster City
What do homes sell for in Foster City, CA?
227 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.6M, $948 a square foot. Houses sold for about $2.2M, condos for about $957K.
Is Foster City a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 40 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 24 sold, about 1.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 101.6% of asking on average, and 23% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Foster City?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Foster City?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Foster City’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Foster City.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).