Residential comparison · 13 facts
Foster City, CA vs Palo Alto, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Foster City needs about $77,000 in Palo Alto to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Palo Alto, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $93,500 in Foster City.
A few differences
- Palo Alto is higher on median household income ($231,101 vs $199,143).
- Foster City is lower on cost of living index (219 vs 228).
- Foster City is lower on median home price ($1,838,200 vs $2,000,001).
Foster City vs Palo Alto · facet by facet
| Facet | Foster City, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,838,200 | $2,000,001 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,501/mo | $3,501/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 219 | 228 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $199,143 | $231,101 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Foster City, CA · Palo Alto, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Foster City cheaper than Palo Alto?
- Foster City has the lower day-to-day cost index (219 vs 228 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Palo Alto equals $85,000 in Foster City?
- A household earning $85,000 in Foster City needs about $77,000 in Palo Alto to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Palo Alto lifestyle costs about $93,500 in Foster City.