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CITY

Foster City

California · 32,411 residents (2025 est.) · 3.787 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
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Notable rankings
#53Most expensive homesof 6,786$1,838,200#69Most foreign-born residentsof 6,82649.5%#71Highest median rentof 6,764$3,501#172Highest median household incomeof 6,818$199,143
The short version

Foster City is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $199,143. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 74% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $1,838,200. Poverty is rare here, at 4.1% of residents. It ranks in the top 1% of US cities for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
32,792
+14%since 2000
from 28,803 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
8,659 / sq mi
+14%since 2009
from 7,578 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.5
+4%since 2000
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:32,411 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
28K29K31K33K35K1990201020202024Foster City
202433K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.5%(2,117)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(1,952)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.4%(2,101)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.7%(1,533)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 243.5%(1,148)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.9%(4,572)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4417.8%(5,846)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.4%(4,054)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.3%(3,710)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.5%(2,475)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847%(2,280)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.1%(1,004)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$199,143
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $95,279 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$98,585
+115%since 2000
from $45,754 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
81.7%
+10.1 ptssince 2009
from 71.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
4.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 2.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.434
+11%since 2010
from 0.390 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade13.5%
US avg: 9.9%
Arts, entertainment, food9.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Other services8.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Information5.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade2.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,838,200
+90%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $530,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$3,501
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,620 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
50.8%
−10.7 ptssince 2000
from 61.5% in 2000
49.2% rent
Vacancy rate
4.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
24.2%
−14.3 ptssince 2009
from 38.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
40.7%
+9.6 ptssince 2009
from 31.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
9.2
+22%since 2009
from 7.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
80
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Foster City on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic55.9%(16,090)
Black2.1%(595)
Hispanic / Latino5.3%(1,531)
Asian32.4%(9,339)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic28.9%(9,476)
Black1.6%(522)
Hispanic / Latino7.1%(2,339)
Asian54.3%(17,816)
Other8%(2,639)
Diversity Score
76
−1%since 2009
from 77 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.4%(1,112)
Salvadoran0.7%(227)
Cuban0.7%(223)
Guatemalan0.5%(159)
Argentine0.3%(86)
Spaniard0.3%(86)
Chilean0.2%(60)
Colombian0.2%(55)
Panamanian0.1%(34)
Nicaraguan0.1%(30)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Uruguayan0.1%(23)
Honduran0.1%(22)
Costa Rican0.1%(19)
Bolivian0%(16)
Peruvian0%(15)
Asian origin
Chinese24.3%(7,982)
Asian Indian14.3%(4,694)
Filipino4.4%(1,440)
Japanese4%(1,312)
Korean1.9%(630)
Taiwanese1.6%(514)
Vietnamese1.1%(354)
Thai0.4%(132)
Uzbek0.4%(116)
Indonesian0.3%(94)
Pakistani0.1%(36)
Cambodian0%(10)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(38)
Tongan0.1%(33)
Ancestry
English5.3%(1,731)
German4.3%(1,396)
Irish4%(1,325)
Italian3%(975)
Arab2.4%(792)
Russian2.1%(699)
Iranian2.1%(677)
French1.8%(595)
American1.8%(587)
Polish1.4%(470)
Brazilian0.9%(285)
Portuguese0.7%(224)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
Egyptian0.6%(207)
Scottish0.6%(207)
British0.6%(205)
Palestinian0.6%(203)
Swedish0.5%(167)
Hungarian0.5%(164)
Ukrainian0.4%(120)
Israeli0.4%(117)
Canadian0.4%(116)
Greek0.3%(114)
Czech0.3%(113)
Slovak0.3%(108)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(104)
Austrian0.3%(95)
Welsh0.3%(95)
Armenian0.3%(93)
Turkish0.2%(81)
Dutch0.2%(62)
Danish0.2%(52)
Lithuanian0.2%(52)
Belgian0.1%(37)
Swiss0.1%(36)
Norwegian0.1%(31)
Lebanese0.1%(27)
Nigerian0.1%(23)
Australian0.1%(22)
Croatian0.1%(20)
Romanian0%(15)
Jamaican0%(11)
Finnish0%(5)
Latvian0%(3)
RANKED:Largest Chinese population · Largest Asian Indian population · Largest English population · Largest Filipino population · Largest German population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
73.8%
+13.9 ptssince 2000
from 59.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 95.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
40.6%
+16.4 ptssince 2000
from 24.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.4 min
+57%since 2000
from 18.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
51.8%
−25.2 ptssince 2009
from 77.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.5%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
34.2%
+27.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.7%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 6.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2011
from 67.8% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
6.5%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
75.4%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 79.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.8%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Female
52.2%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Foreign born
49.5%
+12.2 ptssince 2009
from 37.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.4%
−46.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
8.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2012
from 6.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.2%
−93.7 ptssince 2013
from 95.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
98.1%
+2.9 ptssince 2017
from 95.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
45.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2016
from 49.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2016
from 3.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.2%(3,809)
Married64%(8,072)
Widowed2%(256)
Divorced3.8%(484)
Women 15+
Never married23.9%(3,351)
Married61.3%(8,589)
Widowed8.5%(1,194)
Divorced6.2%(867)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Foster City to nearby cities

FOSTER CITY VS
San Mateo
Income$153,504−23%
Home value$1,618,700−12%
Population103,337+219%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FOSTER CITY VS
Redwood City
Income$157,814−21%
Home value$1,801,700−2%
Population82,178+154%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FOSTER CITY VS
Belmont
Income$205,297+3%
Home value$2,000,001+9%
Population28,752−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FOSTER CITY VS
San Carlos
Income$237,470+19%
Home value$2,000,001+9%
Population29,261−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Foster City, California?

Foster City, California has about 32,792 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Foster City, California?

The typical household in Foster City, California earns about $199,143 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Foster City, California expensive?

In Foster City, California, the median home is worth about $1,838,200, and the typical rent is about $3,501 a month.

How educated are people in Foster City, California?

About 73.8% of adults age 25 and over in Foster City, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Foster City, California?

About 4.1% of people in Foster City, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Foster City, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Foster City, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,616 residents, a change of about 16 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →