San Mateo County · California · West · 830k residents
San Francisco, CA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for San Francisco: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in San Francisco is $1,300,000, 84% above the California median. A two-bedroom rents for about $4,300/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 178 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $127,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A compact Pacific city where steep streets, immigrant neighborhoods, and technology share the frame.
Known for: The Golden Gate, neighborhoods, food, LGBTQ+ history, technology, and bay landscapes.
Calendar note: The city calendar includes the Chinese New Year Parade and a large arts and film program.
Story source: San Francisco Travel
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places San Francisco about 10 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 259 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 89 and an average commute of 32 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare San Francisco side by side
Cost of living index
178
Median home value
$1,300,000
2-bedroom rent
$4,300/mo
Median household income
$127,000
Housing momentum
How fast San Francisco's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
98/100
Heating
Ranks San Francisco's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by San Francisco's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $1,300,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $1,000 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $3,300/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $4,300/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.63% |
| Cost of living index | 178 |
| Groceries index | 118 |
| Utilities | $240/mo |
| Transit pass | $81/mo |
| Gas price | $4.80/gal |
| Healthcare index | 112 |
| Childcare (per child) | $2,450/mo |
| Median household income | $127,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% |
| Population | 830k |
| Crime index | 46/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 |
| Walkability | 89/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 32 min |
| Sunny days / year | 259 days |
| July high | 73°F |
| January low | 45°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +7.6% |
| Home price MoM | +1.2% |
| Rent YoY | +18.0% |
| Rent MoM | +2.1% |
| Ocean coast | 10 mi |
| Big lake | 68 mi |
| Mountains | 31 mi |
| Major airport | < 3 mi |
| Ski resort | 145 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- South San Francisco, CA · 64k
- San Mateo, CA · 103k
- Daly City, CA · 102k
- Alameda, CA · 77k
- Redwood City, CA · 82k
Similar size
- San Jose, CA · 990k
- Fresno, CA · 546k
- Sacramento, CA · 529k
- Long Beach, CA · 456k
- Oakland, CA · 439k
Real listings in San Francisco
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in San Francisco, CA?
- San Francisco indexes at 178 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $4,300/mo and a median home value of $1,300,000.
- How much does a house cost in San Francisco?
- The median home value in San Francisco is $1,300,000, 84% above the California median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in San Francisco?
- A two-bedroom in San Francisco rents for about $4,300/mo.