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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Foster City

California · 28,803 residents · 3.79 sq mi
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The short version

With 28,803 people, Foster City is a city in California. Households here earn about 101% more than in California as a whole. 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 24% nationally. Median home value sits at $530,200. Renters pay $1,620 a month at the median. Households take in $95,279 a year at the median, 124% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 38.1
US median: 35.2
More educated
60% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
28,803
+2%since 1990
from 28,176 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.1
+7%since 1990
from 35.6 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
3.79 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
28K29K31K33K35K19902000201020202024Foster City
202433K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.9%(1,685)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96%(1,736)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.9%(1,694)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 194.9%(1,416)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 244.4%(1,256)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3416.8%(4,853)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4418.5%(5,320)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5416.2%(4,660)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 6411.4%(3,281)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 746.1%(1,764)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.1%(888)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over0.9%(250)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$95,279
+20%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $60,462 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$45,754
+61%since 1990
from $28,399 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
2.9%
−0.1 ptssince 1990
from 2.9% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$530,200
−2%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $411,500 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,620
+27%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $969 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
61.5%
+1.4 ptssince 1990
from 60.1% in 1990
38.5% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic73.5%(20,703)
Black3.1%(871)
Hispanic / Latino6%(1,682)
Asian22%(6,191)
2000
White, non-Hispanic55.9%(16,090)
Black2.1%(595)
Hispanic / Latino5.3%(1,531)
Asian32.4%(9,339)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
59.8%
+13.1 ptssince 1990
from 46.7% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
95.6%
+0.5 ptssince 1990
from 95.0% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
24.2%
+7.7 ptssince 1990
from 16.5% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.7 min
−24%since 1990
from 24.7 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married26.3%(2,994)
Married65%(7,408)
Widowed1.4%(159)
Divorced7.3%(834)
Women 15+
Never married22.2%(2,723)
Married60.6%(7,417)
Widowed7%(857)
Divorced10.2%(1,252)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
2.2%
−1.9 ptssince 2013
from 4.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
74.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.0%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
7.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 7.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
86.8%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 87.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
21.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 21.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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
Drill deeper

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Pop 32,576
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Pop 25,858
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Head to head

Compare Foster City to nearby cities

FOSTER CITY VS
San Mateo
Income$153,504+61%
Home value$1,618,700+205%
Population103,337+219%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FOSTER CITY VS
Redwood City
Income$157,814+66%
Home value$1,801,700+240%
Population82,178+154%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FOSTER CITY VS
Belmont
Income$205,297+115%
Home value$2,000,001+277%
Population28,752−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
FOSTER CITY VS
San Carlos
Income$237,470+149%
Home value$2,000,001+277%
Population29,261−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Foster City, California?

Foster City, California has about 28,803 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Foster City, California earns about $95,279 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 $530,200, and the typical rent is about $1,620 a month.

How educated are people in Foster City, California?

About 59.8% 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 2.9% 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 627 residents, a change of about 2 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 →