Foster City
Foster City, California is a planned community on the San Francisco Bay, east of US 101 and bisected by State Route 92 and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, roughly midway between San Francisco and San Jose (City of Foster City, Community Profile). It was built on former Brewer’s Island, land associated with Leslie Salt and the Schilling Estate. T. Jack Foster and Richard Grant took an option on the land in 1958, the Estero Municipal Improvement District was created in 1960, and a master plan followed in 1961. The lagoon was created as the central drainage basin, the first families moved in at the end of 1964, and the city incorporated in April 1971 (City of Foster City, History of Foster City; Creating the Land; Community Profile). City Hall is at 610 Foster City Boulevard, Foster City, CA 94404.
The 2020 Census counted 33,805 residents in the incorporated city; the Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 estimate is 32,411. The city covers 3.79 square miles of land (U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts).
I am the broker-owner of Avil Soleiman Brokerage, and I work with buyers and sellers in Foster City and throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Buyers here often compare lagoon-oriented streets, parks and paths, and a large share of condominiums and townhomes with nearby San Mateo. I help clients look closely at the setting of each property, including homeowners association rules, and how it may work day to day. Sellers benefit from a thoughtful presentation of the home’s real strengths, priced from recent nearby sales. If you are comparing Foster City with San Mateo, Redwood City, or Burlingame, I can walk you through the tradeoffs. Call or text 408-807-5657. DRE #01968159.
Neighborhoods in and around Foster City
Foster City was planned as nine residential neighborhoods plus a Town Center and an industrial area, and later grew to fourteen neighborhoods. The City’s Community Profile explains that those neighborhoods are distinguished by street-name themes, including Famous Ships, Birds, Fish, Boats, Explorers, Admirals, Islands, Bays, and Constellations and Stars, rather than by separate marketing names (City of Foster City, Community Profile). I use that official framing instead of informal listing labels. School assignment and city limits still have to be confirmed for the exact address, especially near the San Mateo line.
The lagoon, Town Center, and residential neighborhoods. The lagoon is the city’s original drainage basin and remains the geographic center of daily life for many streets (City of Foster City, Creating the Land; Community Profile). Town Center is the planned commercial core. Buyers comparing one residential neighborhood with another should look at the specific street theme area, how close the home is to the lagoon or to a busy crossing such as Foster City Boulevard or State Route 92, and whether the property is a detached house, a townhome, or a condominium. Townhomes and condominiums come with homeowners associations, so review dues, rules, reserves, and whether more than one association applies, early in the process.
Parks and the pedway as local reference points. Central Park and the Recreation Center opened in 1974 on the lagoon shores. Leo J. Ryan Park is at East Hillsdale Boulevard and Shell Boulevard and covers 20.73 acres. City parks total more than 100 acres (102.72 acres in the Community Profile table), plus a seven-linear-mile pedway along Belmont Slough and San Francisco Bay (City of Foster City, Community Profile). Those parks and the pedway are useful landmarks when comparing homes, but they are not a substitute for walking the exact block.
School districts
Four public schools in Foster City are in San Mateo-Foster City School District: Audubon Elementary at 841 Gull Avenue, Brewer Island Elementary at 1151 Polynesia Drive, Foster City Elementary at 461 Beach Park Boulevard, and Bowditch Middle School at 1450 Tarpon Street (City of Foster City, Community Profile). SMFCSD educates approximately 10,500 students in preschool through eighth grade in 21 schools located in San Mateo and Foster City (San Mateo-Foster City School District).
Foster City is also in San Mateo Union High School District, which serves approximately 9,000 ninth- through twelfth-grade students in Burlingame, Foster City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, San Bruno, and San Mateo, and operates six comprehensive high schools (San Mateo Union High School District, Our District; City of Foster City, Community Profile). A Community Profile note that Foster City students have primarily attended San Mateo or Hillsdale High Schools in San Mateo may be dated. Confirm the current high school assignment for the exact address with the district locator before you write an offer.
Price ranges and the local market
These figures are from MLSListings, for sales with a close-of-escrow date from November 2025 through October 2026. The MLS city field is the mailing city.
In that period, 73 single-family homes sold in Foster City at a median sale price of $2,200,000, with a median of 12 days on market. On a price-weighted basis, those homes sold for about 104.7% of list price. Another 141 condominiums and townhomes sold at a median of $1,250,000, with a median of 22 days on market, more sales than in the single-family category. As of November 10, 2026, there were 6 single-family homes and 21 condominiums or townhomes listed as active.
Those medians are a starting point, not a price for any one street. Values can shift with school assignment, lagoon or park proximity, condition, and HOA dues, and the single-family inventory can be limited. If you want a value based on recent nearby sales, request a home valuation or call me at 408-807-5657. For context, over the same period the median single-family sale was $2,222,500 in San Mateo, $2,310,000 in Redwood City, and $3,205,250 in Burlingame (MLSListings, sales November 2025-October 2026).
Lifestyle
Foster City is still defined by the choices made in its master plan: a lagoon at the center, residential neighborhoods organized by street-name themes, a Town Center, and a network of parks and a bayfront pedway (City of Foster City, History of Foster City; Community Profile). Central Park on the lagoon and Leo J. Ryan Park at East Hillsdale Boulevard and Shell Boulevard are everyday landmarks. Daily life still comes down to the specific block, including traffic on State Route 92 and Foster City Boulevard, HOA rules, and how a house or condominium actually lives. I spend time on those details with clients rather than treating the city as a single lifestyle.
Commute
The American Community Survey (2020-2024) reports a mean travel time to work of 29.4 minutes for Foster City workers age 16 and older (U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts). That is a citywide average, not a door-to-door time for any one trip.
Foster City does not have a Caltrain station. The nearest stations are in neighboring San Mateo, including the San Mateo, Hayward Park, and Hillsdale stations. I do not quote minutes from Foster City to those stations or drive times to San Francisco, San Jose, or a specific employer, because those times vary by hour and by starting point. US 101, at the city’s western edge, and State Route 92, which crosses the city and becomes the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, are the main road corridors (City of Foster City, Community Profile). If the commute is a deciding factor, we should run the actual trip from the properties you are considering.
Who Foster City is best for
Foster City often fits buyers who want a planned lagoon community with parks and paths, a mix that includes many condominiums and townhomes, and a mid-Peninsula location east of US 101. It can also fit sellers who want pricing grounded in recent nearby sales, which matters when single-family inventory is limited.
It may be less of a fit if you need a Caltrain station inside the city, or if you are looking only at a more traditional downtown setting in San Mateo, Redwood City, or Burlingame. Those are comparisons I am glad to walk through with current sales in hand.
If you are buying or selling here, or weighing Foster City against nearby cities, I can help you look at the house, the neighborhood, the schools, and the commute together. Buyers and sellers will find more on how I work, and you can request a home valuation anytime.
Foster City real estate FAQ
What is the housing market like in Foster City?
In the November 2025-October 2026 period, 73 single-family homes sold in Foster City at a median sale price of $2,200,000, with a median of 12 days on market, and sold for about 104.7% of list price on a price-weighted basis (MLSListings). Another 141 condominiums and townhomes sold at a median of $1,250,000, with a median of 22 days on market, more sales than in the single-family category. As of November 10, 2026, there were 6 single-family homes and 21 condominiums or townhomes listed as active. Those figures are a starting point. The right price for a specific home still depends on location, condition, school assignment, HOA dues, and recent nearby sales.
How does Foster City compare with San Mateo, Redwood City, and Burlingame?
Foster City is a planned lagoon community, incorporated in April 1971, east of US 101 and without its own Caltrain station, in contrast to downtown San Mateo, Redwood City, and Burlingame (City of Foster City, History of Foster City; Community Profile). Over the same November 2025-October 2026 period, the median single-family sale was $2,200,000 in Foster City, $2,222,500 in San Mateo, $2,310,000 in Redwood City, and $3,205,250 in Burlingame (MLSListings). Foster City also had more condominium and townhome sales than single-family sales in that period. Those medians do not replace a street-by-street comparison of schools, commute, and housing type. I am glad to walk through those tradeoffs with current sales.
What school district is Foster City in?
Foster City public elementary and middle schools are in San Mateo-Foster City School District, including Audubon Elementary, Brewer Island Elementary, Foster City Elementary, and Bowditch Middle School (City of Foster City, Community Profile; San Mateo-Foster City School District). For high school, Foster City is in San Mateo Union High School District (San Mateo Union High School District, Our District). Confirm the current assignment for the exact address with each district’s locator before you write an offer.
What neighborhoods are in Foster City?
Foster City was planned as nine residential neighborhoods plus a Town Center and an industrial area, and later grew to fourteen neighborhoods distinguished by street-name themes such as Famous Ships, Birds, Fish, Boats, Explorers, Admirals, Islands, Bays, and Constellations and Stars (City of Foster City, Community Profile). The lagoon, Central Park, Leo J. Ryan Park at East Hillsdale Boulevard and Shell Boulevard, and the seven-linear-mile pedway along Belmont Slough and San Francisco Bay are useful official landmarks. I confirm the exact address, the HOA, and the school assignment rather than relying on informal listing names.
How can I find out what my Foster City home is worth?
You can request a home valuation or call or text me at 408-807-5657. I price homes from recent nearby sales, the property’s condition and setting, HOA dues where they apply, and the current inventory, not from a citywide median alone. I am the broker-owner of Avil Soleiman Brokerage, DRE #01968159.
Reach out to Avil
If you are thinking about buying or selling in Foster City, or comparing it with nearby cities, I would like to hear what you are trying to do.
Phone/text: 408-807-5657
Email: home@avilsoleiman.com
Contact Avil
Avil Soleiman, broker-owner of Avil Soleiman Brokerage, DRE #01968159. 1900 Camden Ave, Suite 101, San Jose, CA 95124.