City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

San Francisco, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for San Francisco - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

836,321
Residents
$141,446
Median income
$1,380,500
Median home
$3,604
Median rent (state)

San Francisco - the verdict

Nationally, San Francisco sits in the 93rd percentile for household income and the 5th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

93rd
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
99th
percentile, median rent
5th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: San Francisco, CA

California's San Francisco is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 836,321 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $141,446 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.7%. San Francisco's housing stock carries a median value of $1,380,500, and the median resident age is 39.7 years. About 60.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 66.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 770 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 76% from five years earlier. San Francisco's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 4525.6 crimes per 100,000 residents, above the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 58.7°F with 19.6 inches of precipitation per year.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $3,604 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for San Francisco workers runs 22.7 minutes, with 28.6% driving alone and 27.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

836,321 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$141,446 /yr

Poverty 5.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does San Francisco compare to other US cities?

San Francisco measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 93% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 99% pricier than other cities
Safety 5% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, San Francisco ranks #422 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below San Francisco's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

93rdIncome percentile
5thSafety percentile

93rd percentile nationally for median household income · 5th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

San Francisco's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

San Francisco's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 33 Avg. percentile National median
San Francisco's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How San Francisco's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$1,380,500 1st percentile more affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. San Francisco $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - San Francisco, CA San Francisco, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not San Francisco, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution San Francisco, CA median $141,446/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
San Francisco, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for San Francisco, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 60.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
836,321
Median Income
$141,446
Median Home Value
$1,380,500
Median Age
39.7
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Labor force participation
66.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
60.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4525.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
596.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3929.1
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
58.7°F
Annual Precipitation
19.6"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
123
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
800,000 residents820,000 residents840,000 residents860,000 residents880,000 residents900,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 875,139 residents 826,079 residents ▼ -5.6%
San Francisco's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
770
housing units authorized
Single-Family
27
detached homes
Multifamily
743
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3,200
2020 2,004
2021 2,519
2022 2,014
2023 1,136
2024 770

Permit volume decreased 76% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
22.7 minutes
Drive Alone
28.6%
Carpool
6.0%
Public Transit
21.4%
Walk
10.0%
Work from Home
27.5%
Other
6.5%

Based on 474,659 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county San Francisco sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,604/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

San Jose
990,054 people
Fresno
543,615 people
Sacramento
524,802 people
Long Beach
458,491 people
Oakland
438,072 people
Bakersfield
408,366 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to San Francisco's 836,321 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Indianapolis city (balance), IN
882,043 people
Charlotte, NC
886,283 people
Columbus, OH
906,480 people
Seattle, WA
741,440 people
Fort Worth, TX
941,311 people
Denver, CO
713,734 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to San Francisco's $141,446 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Arlington, MA
$141,440 median income
Larch Way, WA
$141,429 median income
Herndon, VA
$141,418 median income
Congers, NY
$141,413 median income
Northport, NY
$141,378 median income
The Woodlands, TX
$141,353 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - San Francisco, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition San Francisco, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 40.5% 35.0% 7.8% 10.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15.9% White 40.5% Black or African American 5.1% Asian 35.0% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.4% Some other race 7.8% Two or more races 10.7% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How San Francisco compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
San Francisco (this city) 836,321 $141,446
San Jose 990,054 $141,565
Fresno 543,615 $66,804
Sacramento 524,802 $83,753
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about San Francisco, CA?

What is the population of San Francisco, CA? +

The population of San Francisco, CA stands at 836,321 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in San Francisco, CA? +

In San Francisco, the typical household earns $141,446 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in San Francisco? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for San Francisco; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is San Francisco, CA safe? +

San Francisco has a total crime rate of 4525.6 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in San Francisco, CA? +

Homes in San Francisco carry a median value of $1,380,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in San Francisco? +

Climate normals put San Francisco's yearly average temperature at 58.7°F, 19.6 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.