Skip to content

Foster City Snapshot

Sustainable Foster City is a holistic approach that embraces the common sense notion that long-term economic prosperity, social equity and ecological health not only go together, they depend on each other.

Building icons
Foster City was incorporated on:

April 27, 1971

Foster City has ONE Police Station
ONE Fire Station
THREE Community Centers
ONE Public Library
FOUR square miles of town
TWO-HUNDRED TWELVE acres of lagoon

school book icon

Foster City has THREE public K-5 schools
ONE new elementary school on its way
ONE public middle school
NUMEROUS private K-5 and preschools

money icon

$136,383
Annual Household Income

900

graduate icon

There are over 900 elementary & middle school graduates of the anti-gang program G.R.E.A.T.

73%

piggy bank icon

The poverty level in Foster City is 73% lower than the national average.

58%

house icon

Home ownership in Foster City
is over 58%.

24

trees icon

There are 24 parks around town to give folks clean outdoor spaces.

98th

shield icon

Foster City is ranked as the
98th Safest City in the country.

900

life vest icon

There are 900 residents trained as
C.E.R.T. members.

Where the Money Comes From

1 Property Tax 56.96%
2 Transient occupancy tax 8.37%
3 Property tax in lieu of vehicle license fee 8.08%
4 Sales tax 6.89%
5 Charges for current services 4.52%
6 Bus license tax 3.54%
7 Permits + fees 3.17%
8 Franchise tax 2.43%
9 Other 6.04%
Where the Money Comes From Chart

Where the Money Goes

1 Police 30.56%
2 Fire 23.50%
3 Parks & Rec 20.76%
4 Gen Govt 10.47%
5 Comm Dev 6.92%
6 Public Works* 6.39%
7 Other 1.39%

*Excludes water and wastewater enterprise funds

where the money goes chart
clock icon
minutes
seconds

Average POLICE response time
for priority calls

minutes
seconds

Average FIRE response time
for priority calls

people icon

Median AGE of residents

POPULATION in town

All stats on this page source: City of Foster City, FY 2018-2019.