Rents are 13% above what Foster City's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $4,450 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Foster City usually run 2.2% below trend in January and 2.2% above it in July, about $196 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Foster City is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in September 2017.
Rent in Foster City changed +12.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
Rent in Foster City is 28.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 26 months in a row, and rose in 12 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($199,143) is $4,979 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($4,560); a 3-bedroom is $5,690.
San Mateo, 3 miles away, rents for 11% less ($3,968/mo), about $5,800 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Foster City. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Foster City, CA is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income above the national average, 73.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Foster City, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Foster City, CA has climbed by $1,350 per month, settling near $4,450 after starting the period at $3,100. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $173,721 in 2021 to $199,143 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 28.9 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 33,511 to 32,792 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.1% change. About 49.2% of households rent today, against 45.5% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 70.2% to 73.8%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Foster City, CA market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Foster City on your salary?
At $4,450/mo, how Foster City rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Foster City rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Foster City. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Foster City
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Foster City is $4,450/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $3,130/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $4,560/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $3,820/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $5,690/mo.
At 27% of local median household income ($199,143/yr), Foster City ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 12.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Foster City?
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How does Foster City rent compare to other cities in California?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Foster City?
At $4,450/mo, rent takes ~27% of Foster City's median household income ($199,143/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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