With 32,792 people, Foster City is a city in California. Households here earn about 101% more than in California as a whole. 74% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $1,838,200. 49% of residents were born outside the United States. Households take in $199,143 a year at the median, 142% more than the country as a whole.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $199,143, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
74% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 90%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Foster City
What changed most since 1990
Asian share21.9% → 54.3%(+32.4 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
White share69.2% → 28.9%(−40.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree46.7% → 73.8%(+27.1 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Foster City's population equals 4.4% of San Mateo County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 2.7% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 6.1% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)17%(102)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.5%(81)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.2%(229)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War13.3%(80)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 600 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Foster City, decade by decade
Foster City population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
28,176
$145,113
$987,628
46.7%
58.7
2000
28,803
$173,565
$965,842
59.8%
72.2
2010
30,567
$160,491
$1,225,518
62.2%
76.9
2020
33,805
$197,953
$1,696,370
71.4%
76.0
2024
32,792
$199,143
$1,838,200
73.8%
76.2
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
