Foster City, CA vs San Jose, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Foster City

63.9

#1730 nationally

vs

San Jose

63

#1807 nationally

San Jose leads in cost of living index (198 vs 276). Foster City leads in median household income ($191,267 vs $142,891). San Jose leads in average commute (28.4 min vs 32.4 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Foster City, CA San Jose, CA
WhereAtHome Score 63.9 (#1730) 63 (#1807)
Population 32,180 983,489
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $1,863,228 $1,391,204
Median Household Income $191,267 $142,891
Average Commute 32.4 min 28.4 min
Walk Score 50 51
Crime Level 1.9 Moderate
School Rating N/A 7.2
Cost of Living Index 276 198
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+50.3 D+40.0