Living in San Francisco, CA
Major city in California
San Francisco is a major city in California, home to about 836,000 people, with 3.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
In short: Top tech careers, walkable hills and quick access to nature. Among the highest costs in the country.
Is San Francisco a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 20 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 67°F
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Highly educated: 60% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 4 research universities are within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.77M, and rent is $4,600 a month
- Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.68% property tax
- Higher crime: violent crime is 1.8× the US rate (FBI 2019)
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how San Francisco ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in San Francisco: common questions
What is the cost of living in San Francisco?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.77M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,600 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 116, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in San Francisco?
California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.68% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is San Francisco safe?
Violent crime is well above the national rate (1.8× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in San Francisco?
San Francisco has mild winters: winter days average around 59°F and summer days around 67°F.
Does San Francisco get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 2 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.62 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to San Francisco?
The nearest major airport is SFO, about 11 mi away.
How San Francisco scores
Each bar compares San Francisco with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is San Francisco right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.