Residential comparison · 13 facts
Foster City, CA vs San Francisco, 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 $86,500 in San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Francisco, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Foster City.
A few differences
- San Francisco is lower on sales tax (8.63% vs 8.8%).
- Foster City is lower on groceries index (112 vs 118).
- Foster City is higher on median household income ($199,143 vs $127,000).
Foster City vs San Francisco · facet by facet
| Facet | Foster City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,838,200 | $1,300,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,501/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.63% |
| Cost of living index | 219 | 178 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 118 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $240/mo |
| Median household income | $199,143 | $127,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 46/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 259 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 · San Francisco, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Foster City cheaper than San Francisco?
- San Francisco has the lower day-to-day cost index (178 vs 219 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Francisco equals $85,000 in Foster City?
- A household earning $85,000 in Foster City needs about $86,500 in San Francisco to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Francisco lifestyle costs about $83,500 in Foster City.