Town guide

Foster City, California

Foster City is a city in San Mateo County, California, home to about 32,792 people across 3.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 94404.

Homes sold for a median of $916 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population32,7928,652 per sq mi
Median home value$1,838,200Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$916Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking38%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Foster City

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Foster City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The Foster City guide is on the way

We’re writing up Foster City’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

Are you a local agent who knows Foster City well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked

Around Foster City

Distances

Nearest major airportSan Francisco International Airport (SFO)7 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Oakland, CA15 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Los Angeles, CA326 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Foster City; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Foster City

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Foster City had 33,805 residents in the 2020 census, up 17% since 2000.

It’s the 248th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.

San Mateo County grew from 12,094 residents in 1900 to 764,442 in 2020.

Foster City population by census2000: 28,803, 2010: 30,567, 2020: 33,80528,803200030,567201033,8052020

San Mateo County, 1900–2020

San Mateo County population, 1900 to 20201900: 12,094, 1910: 26,585, 1920: 36,781, 1930: 77,405, 1940: 111,782, 1950: 235,659, 1960: 444,387, 1970: 556,234, 1980: 587,329, 1990: 649,623, 2000: 707,161, 2010: 718,451, 2020: 764,44212K’00’1037K’20’30112K’40’50444K’60’70587K’80’90707K’00’10764K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 40°F. About 19.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Foster CityJan: high 59°F, low 41°F, 3.8 in; Feb: high 62°F, low 43°F, 3.7 in; Mar: high 65°F, low 45°F, 3 in; Apr: high 69°F, low 47°F, 1.2 in; May: high 73°F, low 50°F, 0.5 in; Jun: high 79°F, low 54°F, 0.2 in; Jul: high 81°F, low 57°F, 0 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 57°F, 0 in; Sep: high 79°F, low 54°F, 0.1 in; Oct: high 75°F, low 50°F, 0.9 in; Nov: high 65°F, low 44°F, 1.9 in; Dec: high 59°F, low 40°F, 3.9 in59°41°Jan3.862°43°Feb3.765°45°Mar3.069°47°Apr1.273°50°May0.579°54°Jun0.281°57°Jul0.081°57°Aug0.079°54°Sep0.175°50°Oct0.965°44°Nov1.959°40°Dec3.9Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Redwood City, CA weather station (6 miles away).

Jobs in San Mateo County

477,938 jobs at 21,569 businesses in San Mateo County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in San Mateo CountyInformation: 112,818 jobs; Professional services: 59,007 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 46,206 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 38,716 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 33,718 jobs; Retail trade: 32,272 jobs; Manufacturing: 24,534 jobs; Finance and insurance: 22,092 jobsInformation 24% Professional services 12% Health care and social assistance 10% Hotels and restaurants 8% Transportation and warehousing 7% Retail trade 7% Manufacturing 5% Finance and insurance 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

230 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Foster City.

Nearest hospitals

  • San Mateo Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · San Mateo2.3 miles
  • Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood CityGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Redwood City5.1 miles
  • Peninsula Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Burlingame6.8 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors16
Specialist doctors16
Dentists58
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants26
Mental health providers66
Physical and occupational therapists32
Optometrists5
Chiropractors11
Pharmacies6

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Foster City

Parks (36 nearby)

  • Sea Cloud Park · 24 acres1.0 mi
  • Leo J Ryan Memorial Park · 20 acres0.2 mi
  • Los Prados Park · 12 acres1.0 mi
  • Boothbay Park · 11 acres1.0 mi
  • Edgewater Park · 11 acres0.4 mi
  • Catamaran Park · 6 acres0.3 mi

Grocery stores (8 nearby)

  • Safeway0.4 mi
  • India Cash and Carry0.4 mi
  • Lucky0.6 mi
  • 99 Ranch Market0.7 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • CVS Pharmacy0.4 mi

Libraries (3 nearby)

  • Foster City Library0.3 mi
  • Bowditch Middle School Library1.2 mi
  • Marina Branch San Mateo Public Library1.3 mi

Museums

  • Hiller Aviation Museum3.0 mi
  • Museum of San Carlos History3.2 mi
  • CuriOdyssey3.7 mi
  • San Mateo County History Museum5.1 mi
  • Domin Hoskins Black History Museum & Learning Center5.3 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • Giliad1.2 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1971.

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Foster City

Public schools here are run by San Mateo-Foster City. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (6)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Audubon ElementaryFoster CityK–5445Public1.2 mi
Beach Park ElementaryFoster CityK–5347Public0.4 mi
Brewer Island ElementaryFoster CityK–5306Public0.7 mi
Foster City ElementaryFoster CityK–5624Public0.6 mi
San Mateo-Foster City Special Education PreschoolFoster CityK1Public0.9 mi
Bowditch MiddleFoster City6–8929Public1.2 mi
Private schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Ronald C Wornick Jewish Day SchoolFoster CityTK–8199Jewish0.3 mi
Kids Connection ElementaryFoster CityK–5188Nonsectarian1.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

From OfferBacked · Free

Get matched with a local agent.

Buying or selling around Foster City? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.

Get matched

Where Foster City is

Loading map…

Towns near Foster City

All California towns →

Shares ZIP codes with San Mateo.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.