Residential comparison · 13 facts
San Francisco, CA vs San Jose, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in San Francisco needs about $78,000 in San Jose to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Jose, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $92,000 in San Francisco.
A few differences
- San Francisco is lower on sales tax (8.63% vs 9.38%).
- San Jose is lower on groceries index (114 vs 118).
- San Jose is higher on median household income ($133,000 vs $127,000).
San Francisco vs San Jose · facet by facet
| Facet | San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,300,000 | $1,450,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $4,300/mo | $3,550/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.63% | 9.38% |
| Cost of living index | 178 | 168 |
| Groceries index | 118 | 114 |
| Utilities | $240/mo | $230/mo |
| Median household income | $127,000 | $133,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% | 3.9% |
| Crime index | 46/100 | 36/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 259 days | 257 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: San Francisco, CA · San Jose, CA
Questions & answers
- Is San Francisco cheaper than San Jose?
- San Jose has the lower day-to-day cost index (168 vs 178 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Jose equals $85,000 in San Francisco?
- A household earning $85,000 in San Francisco needs about $78,000 in San Jose to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Jose lifestyle costs about $92,000 in San Francisco.