Residential comparison · 13 facts
Foster City, CA vs San Mateo, 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 $75,500 in San Mateo to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Mateo, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $95,000 in Foster City.
A few differences
- Foster City is higher on median household income ($199,143 vs $153,504).
- San Mateo is lower on cost of living index (206 vs 219).
- San Mateo is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($3,424/mo vs $3,501/mo).
Foster City vs San Mateo · facet by facet
| Facet | Foster City, CA | San Mateo, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,838,200 | $1,618,700 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,501/mo | $3,424/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 | 206 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $199,143 | $153,504 |
| 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 · San Mateo, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Foster City cheaper than San Mateo?
- San Mateo has the lower day-to-day cost index (206 vs 219 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Mateo equals $85,000 in Foster City?
- A household earning $85,000 in Foster City needs about $75,500 in San Mateo to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Mateo lifestyle costs about $95,000 in Foster City.