San Francisco, you weren’t able to clinch Super Bowl LIV, but you definitely win at having some of the best places to live in America. And, since HomeSnacks is our name and ranking places is OUR game, we know where those places are located, and we’ve conveniently listed the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for 2024 below.
If you’ve been to San Francisco, you know that this city is a cultural explosion of great food, cutting edge entertainment, and a mix of classic and progressive architecture–the views of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge aren’t so bad, either. We’re also pretty sure that if you’ve experienced even half of what the Bay City has to offer, you’ve thought about moving to this Northern California gem. Then, you looked at San Francisco’s price tag; and quite frankly, this city is not meant for the people who are barely scraping by–it’s meant for people who make at least $123,850/year. Heck, there’s a reason a place this great hasn’t broken a million residents and that reason is San Francisco’s high cost of living.
But, you’re an optimist, so you get yourself a good job and you’re going to live in San Francisco no matter the cost. So, whether you’re looking to buy your forever home in San Fran or rent, take a look at our list because we’ve taken the guessing out of the equation by using the latest census data to rank San Francisco’s 34 neighborhoods. To get the most accurate list, we looked at things like median income levels and median home prices; because honestly, if you are going to spend far above the national average for your living situation, you should expect the best: the safest communities, the best jobs, and the best amenities. Not surprising, San Francisco’s best neighborhoods have all of this and then some.
So, if you want to know the San Francisco neighborhoods that are on everyone’s wish list, keep reading.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
If you’re looking for a great neighborhood next to the water, the Marina district has stellar homes and a place to park your yacht. If you’re looking for a neighborhood that has cool corner coffee shops and eclectic record stores Haight Ashbury has been making the magic happen for years. And if you’re looking for a neighborhood that provides a hill workout every time you walk out your front door, the Russian Hill neighborhood is great for the heart.
But, what neighborhood in San Francisco takes the number one best spot for 2024? According to the latest census and our SnackAbility algorithm, that would be Presidio Heights.
To see where the other San Francisco neighborhoods landed on the list, hit that down arrow. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, head to the bottom.
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
The 10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In San Francisco
Population: 4,672
Median Home Value: $2,000,001 (best)
Median Income: $169,878 (Fifth best)
More on Presidio Heights: Data | Real Estate
Population: 19,649
Median Home Value: $1,749,956 (Second best)
Median Income: $172,749 (Fourth best)
More on Pacific Heights: Data | Real Estate
Population: 16,095
Median Home Value: $1,714,572 (Third best)
Median Income: $185,103 (best)
More on Noe Valley: Data | Real Estate
Population: 14,756
Median Home Value: $1,452,611 (Seventh best)
Median Income: $164,460 (Seventh best)
More on Russian Hill: Data | Real Estate
Population: 19,022
Median Home Value: $1,614,046 (Fifth best)
Median Income: $142,263 (14th best)
More on Inner Richmond: Data | Real Estate
Population: 17,334
Median Home Value: $1,364,986 (12th best)
Median Income: $130,238 (17th best)
More on Inner Sunset: Data | Real Estate
Population: 11,856
Median Home Value: $1,324,689 (16th best)
Median Income: $143,447 (11th best)
More on Haight-Ashbury: Data | Real Estate
Population: 13,099
Median Home Value: $1,635,620 (Fourth best)
Median Income: $174,122 (Third best)
More on Marina: Data | Real Estate
Population: 16,587
Median Home Value: $1,382,200 (11th best)
Median Income: $111,188 (22nd best)
More on Outer Richmond: Data | Real Estate
Population: 9,165
Median Home Value: $1,403,600 (Tenth best)
Median Income: $169,820 (Sixth best)
More on Glen Park: Data | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best San Francisco, CA Neighborhoods In 2024
To rank the best neighborhoods in San Francisco, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 34 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In San Francisco.” We’re lookin’ at you, Presidio Heights.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places San Francisco, California has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in San Francisco.
Summary: Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of The Best Neighborhoods In San Francisco
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in San Francisco where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in San Francisco are Presidio Heights, Pacific Heights, Noe Valley, Russian Hill, Inner Richmond, Inner Sunset, Haight-Ashbury, Marina, Outer Richmond, and Glen Park.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in San Francisco aren’t all good. Bayview takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in San Francisco.
The worst neighborhoods in San Francisco are Bayview, Visitacion Valley, Downtown, North Beach, and Ocean View.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below.
For more California reading, check out:
Best Neighborhoods To Live In San Francisco For 2024 Detailed Data
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Presidio Heights | 4,672 | $2,000,001 | $169,878 |
| 2 | Pacific Heights | 19,649 | $1,749,956 | $172,749 |
| 3 | Noe Valley | 16,095 | $1,714,572 | $185,103 |
| 4 | Russian Hill | 14,756 | $1,452,611 | $164,460 |
| 5 | Inner Richmond | 19,022 | $1,614,046 | $142,263 |
| 6 | Inner Sunset | 17,334 | $1,364,986 | $130,238 |
| 7 | Haight-Ashbury | 11,856 | $1,324,689 | $143,447 |
| 8 | Marina | 13,099 | $1,635,620 | $174,122 |
| 9 | Outer Richmond | 16,587 | $1,382,200 | $111,188 |
| 10 | Glen Park | 9,165 | $1,403,600 | $169,820 |
| 11 | Chinatown | 6,383 | $1,439,650 | $37,799 |
| 12 | Nob Hill | 17,902 | $1,403,934 | $111,424 |
| 13 | Twin Peaks | 3,830 | $1,359,633 | $159,190 |
| 14 | Bernal Heights | 27,627 | $1,230,414 | $143,080 |
| 15 | Seacliff | 1,429 | $1,346,400 | $134,269 |
| 16 | Diamond Heights | 3,183 | $1,040,967 | $151,943 |
| 17 | Outer Sunset | 18,347 | $1,023,558 | $121,072 |
| 18 | South Of Market | 28,489 | $1,032,286 | $131,546 |
| 19 | West Of Twin Peaks | 21,375 | $1,095,080 | $153,714 |
| 20 | Crocker Amazon | 13,076 | $933,325 | $92,029 |
| 21 | Mission | 59,096 | $1,264,405 | $142,907 |
| 22 | Potrero Hill | 11,617 | $1,225,156 | $180,007 |
| 23 | Outer Mission | 11,675 | $888,962 | $103,917 |
| 24 | Excelsior | 25,088 | $900,731 | $86,292 |
| 25 | Parkside | 18,914 | $1,182,169 | $116,184 |
| 26 | Western Addition | 11,227 | $900,512 | $77,757 |
| 27 | Financial District | 3,915 | $1,564,881 | $104,669 |
| 28 | Lakeshore | 4,596 | $1,341,175 | $102,761 |
| 29 | Castro-Upper Market | 21,884 | $1,067,308 | $127,427 |
| 30 | Ocean View | 30,618 | $678,568 | $78,895 |
| 31 | North Beach | 6,775 | $1,309,850 | $49,026 |
| 32 | Downtown | 19,497 | $1,135,756 | $76,499 |
| 33 | Visitacion Valley | 21,563 | $835,962 | $74,577 |
| 34 | Bayview | 22,475 | $809,839 | $90,666 |