Foster City, California Housing Market Prices
Foster City Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
-
Median home price 35% above the California median$876,185
-
Median rent 76% above the California median$3,579
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Foster City | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $876,185 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 2.8% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $3,579 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.5% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Foster City is about 35% higher than in California. Rent is about 76% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2020
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Foster City, up about 2.8% and 4.5% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Foster City rose about 52.0% between 2015 and 2024, from $2,355 to $3,579. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.4 yearly household incomes in Foster City.
Buying the median-priced home in Foster City costs roughly 20.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Foster City. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Foster City | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $876,185 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $199,575 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.4 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2020, the median home price in Foster City rose about 29.4%, while median household income rose about 79.7% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Foster City | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 48.5% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 46.9% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.5% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2011 | 2011 |
Foster City has a homeownership rate of 48.5%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.5%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Foster City | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.49 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1979 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Foster City was built around 1979. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 4.6 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Foster City, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities
How Foster City, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster City, CA | 32,669 | $876,185 #1/2 | $3,579 #1/2 | 50.8% #1/2 |
| San Mateo, CA | 101,951 | $296,936 | $3,073 | 50.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Foster City, California.
What is the median home price in Foster City, California?
The median home price in Foster City, California is $876,185, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Foster City, California?
The typical home price in Foster City, California, reported as the median sale price, is $876,185. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Foster City, California?
The median gross rent in Foster City, California is $3,579 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Foster City in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Foster City, California was $3,302 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Foster City, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Foster City, California is about 20.4, meaning it would take roughly 20.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Foster City.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Foster City, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Foster City, up about 2.8% and 4.5% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Foster City, California?
48.5% of households in Foster City, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Foster City, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Foster City, California is 4.5%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →