Article Overview: Best Neighborhoods in San Francisco

Does a potential move to the city by the bay have you scoping out the best neighborhoods in San Francisco? If so you’ve come to the right place. I’ve lived here for most of my life and have seen the city in best and worst.

The city has seen its fair share of headlines in recent years due to the myriad issues facing it and I’ll be honest, it’s not for everyone. But, there are still wonderful places to live here. Whether you’re interested in the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for a potential move or just curious, I’ve got you covered.

For this list of the best neighborhoods to live in San Francisco, I’ve ranked neighborhoods based on a number of criteria and included important statistics along with other factors for each including:

Median Age
Median Home Price
Median Household Income
Walkability
Affordability
Beauty & Parks
Schools

Note: This list is regularly updated based on changing statistics and comments from you. Your feedback directly impacts this article so please drop us a comment and let us know what you thin

The Best Neighborhoods in San Francisco

Table of Contents: Top 10 Best Neighborhoods in San Francisco

The Best Neighborhoods in San Francisco

Top 10 Best Neighborhoods in San Francisco

10. Outer Sunset

Median Age	42 years
Median Home Price	$1,377,416 million
Median Household Income	$118,781
Walkability	8/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	10/10
Transit	7/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for families, students, and retirees.

Outer Sunset is a mix of Santa Cruz and San Francisco, all wrapped up in a beachfront community. It is one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for those who still want a touch of suburban life and easy beach access. With Golden Gate Park spanning the northern edge of the neighborhood, you can find some breathing room in this community of 49,500 people.

The pace of life is slower than in San Francisco, with 36% of the population being over the age of 55. As a generational neighborhood, most people own their homes. Renters should expect to pay around $2,400, which is 28% lower than the San Francisco overall average rent. Average home values were down 11% year-to-year as of April.

Because of the lower housing prices compared to the central part of the city, this can be an attractive area for everyone from college students to expanding families. The newcomers mix in well with the generations of Outer Sunset residents, many of whom run businesses in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood has seen an uptick in crime since the pandemic, but it’s still at a level scoffable to those who live in downtown San Francisco.

BART has several lines that go from the North Judah station to other communities, but people here prefer their cars over public transportation. Even with a walkable neighborhood, the sheer size of this larger section of town makes driving more convenient.

Bonus points for that sunrise view over Turtle Hill. Factor in the price of a San Francisco Zoo membership, as it’s at the southwest corner of the neighborhood with year-round events that make living in Outer Sunset that much more desirable. Enjoy the beach views, but remember, this is still foggy San Francisco.

#9 Pacific Heights

Median Age	37 years
Median Home Price	$1,759,884 million
Median Household Income	$190,518
Walkability	9/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	10/10
Transit	10/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for great views.

Pacific Heights is nowhere near as sinister as the 1990 movie of the same name, but the homes are just as beautiful as Hollywood captured. This is among the best San Francisco neighborhoods to get all the views (and you’ll pay top dollar for those views).

Despite the dense residential neighborhoods, you have two large parks in the community. The view from Alta Plaza Park is enough to make you dig deeper into your pockets. Rental rates hover around $2,800, about 13% lower than the citywide average. Home prices average under $1.8 million, which is a nearly 10% change from April 2022 to April 2023.

This neighborhood also offers easy access to some of the most popular neighborhoods to visit. You can live like a tourist but sleep like a San Franciscan. Downtown, the Marina, and the Presidio are all nearby.

Lower Pac Heights also offers a wealth of shopping and dining without being a rowdy area. Just be prepared for tourists to ask you where the Full House home is located. Keep in mind Lower Pac Heights gets its name from creative marketing to ride the coattails of the Pac Heights name. It’s still pretty swanky but not as prestigious as Pac Heights up the hill.

This is also a great San Francisco neighborhood if you want to skip a gym membership and use the neighborhood hills as your cardio. Just remember—what you walk down, you’ll also have to walk back up. Walk this neighborhood a few times before you buy.

#8 Marina District

Median Age	37 years
Median Home Price	$2,401,299 million
Median Household Income	$128,697
Walkability	9/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	9/10
Transit	9/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for upscale influencers, socializers, and singles.

The Marina District can be polarizing, but it’s one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco to enjoy a lively lifestyle, including day drinking and nightlife. It’s known as much for having fun as it is for looking good in those Lululemons.

The district sums up the vibrancy of youth and the work hard, play hard mentality long before the hangovers of your mid-30s make you think twice about “just one more” drink at the bar. It’s a sophisticated crowd, one that might make a great reality show on Netflix.

Rental rates are up 7% in 2023, with a one-bedroom apartment running about $3,400 a month. That’s just above the San Francisco average of $3,200. Home values are just over $2 million, which is down 13.5% year-to-year as of April 2023.

Once you look past the yoga pants and juice bars, you see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz in the distance. Moving past the Fraterday crowds on The Green and the crowds on the street, you’ll see a real value in having so much within walking distance.

You can walk to the beach in Presidio, climb the affluence ladder up Pac Heights or go through the crazy curves and steep grades of Russian Hill. You’re only young once, and living in the Marina District will certainly give you memories to last a lifetime while still having plenty of friends who drag you to Pilates class.

#7 Hayes Valley

Median Age	35 years
Median Home Price	$1,053,729 million
Median Household Income	$90,288
Walkability	10/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	8/10
Transit	9/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for those who want to be in the center of everything.

If you want to get rid of your car and live an urban lifestyle, this is one of the best San Francisco neighborhoods for having everything you could want within walking distance and plenty of public transportation options to go beyond.

Hayes Valley bustles with boutiques and a trendy restaurant vibe, perfect for family outings, first dates, or to-go orders. Look for housing that’s not facing the main streets, as it can get noisy here with busy traffic, large crowds, and late-night hangouts.

This neighborhood also offers the amenities of new housing, with hip condos lining the streets that seamlessly blend in with the multicultural architecture that is quintessential San Francisco. You’ll be close to downtown and SoMa, expanding your urban lifestyle to several other best neighborhoods in San Francisco.

The San Francisco lifestyle is truly at your fingertips in this dynamic and hip section of the city. You still have plenty of green spaces and tree-lined streets; Hayes Valley won’t feel like urban overload. Rent is around the average for the city, with one-bedroom prices near $3,200. Home and condo prices here are down 13% year-to-year as of April 2023, with an average cost of just over one million.

#6 Dogpatch

Median Age	36 years
Median Home Price	$1,028,781 million
Median Household Income	$171,332
Walkability	8/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	7/10
Transit	6/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for loft lovers and work/life balance loyalists.

The post-industrial vibe is strong in this east-side neighborhood along the bay. It’s a more secluded part of San Francisco, once reserved for warehouses and dockworkers, that has now been catapulted to one of the “Coolest Neighborhoods in the World” by Time Out.

The lofty dreams of this working-class community are now lofty warehouse spaces with a heavy lean toward artistic flair and creativity around every corner. Crane Cove Park gives some green to the mechanical surroundings with sailboat rides available and a beach right on the water.

Dogpatch offers two things most of San Francisco can’t—quiet(er) nights and wide-open living spaces. In 2023, it’s still one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for affordability (which is a VERY loose term in this city). That could all change as the “coolness” factor rises. Rental averages here were up 8% year-to-year, with a median rent of $3,668. At the same time, home prices were down in April 2023 year over year to slightly more than one million dollars.

It doesn’t have the easiest access to public transportation or the most direct routes, but it’s definitely a place where you can unplug and enjoy a work/life balance. That will mean quieter weekends with nightlife you’ll have to seek out in other parts of the city.

#5 Outer Richmond

Median Age	41 years
Median Home Price	$1,497,406 million
Median Household Income	$116,193
Walkability	8/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	11/10!
Transit	8/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for families with young kids or those who want a quieter neighborhood with chill vibes.

Outer Richmond checks off a bunch of boxes for those with kids, making it one of the best San Francisco neighborhoods for families. Imagine morning stroller walks along Lands End Trail, with free parking if you need to drive here. Soothe those tense teething moments with the sounds of the rocky coastline. Enjoy one of the quietest nights’ sleep you can get in the San Francisco Bay Area in Outer Richmond.

While this community offers a much more laid-back vibe with few people on the streets, it’s also close enough to Inner Richmond and the robust dining scene for date night or happy hour. All this comes with an average rent that is a good $1,000 below the San Francisco average. The average rent is $2,250. With a mix of homes and condos for sale, the average price was just shy of $1.5 million in April 2023.

You’ll get more fog than in some other areas, but with your neighborhood park being Golden Gate National Recreation Area to the north, sandy and rocky beaches lined with fit pits for beach bonfires, plus San Francisco’s own Golden Gate Park just south of the neighborhood, who’s going to complain about fog? It simply adds an adventurous layer.

Families love Outer Richmond for the easy access to schools, with most being less than a mile to walk.

Don’t worry about the distance if you rely on public transportation—easy routes to any part of the city are within a five-minute walk. The walkability rating goes as far as getting around the neighborhood, but it’s not realistic for most parents to walk downtown or in other trendy neighborhoods.

#4 South of Market (SoMa)

Median Age	36 years
Median Home Price	$853,252 (Condos)
Median Household Income	$119,706
Walkability	9/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	7/10
Transit	10/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for high-rising living and those who want to be close to downtown.

For those who want to live in a neighborhood that has a variety of sub-neighborhoods and different vibes nearby, this is one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for flexibility. SoMa stands for “South of Market (Street),” with rental prices averaging $3,178. That falls in line with the San Francisco average in mid-2023. The condo market dominates this area averaging around $850,000.

When you’re considering this area, it’s critical to review the subsections of town, as the area can be hit or miss with crime, safety, and amenities. Even just one or two streets over could be a different living experience. Having street smarts to distinguish between sketchy and dangerous will go a long way. This isn’t the place for a small-town professional to dive into if they’re unsure about city life.

People love living here because it’s close to everything, whether you want to walk or take a quick BART ride. The evolving housing designs are perfect for remote or hybrid workers, and you’ll also be in the same neighborhood as tech giants like Twitter.

Condos are the most abundant housing choices, with a mix of classic architecture and new construction. Most of the new construction is also in the safer part of the community, lining the eastern edge near the waterfront.

#3 Noe Valley

Median Age	41 years
Median Home Price	$1,811,929
Median Household Income	$169,000
Walkability	9/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	7/10
Transit	10/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for those who want a tight-knit community, own dogs, or have young children.

This is one of the best neighborhoods if you want the small-town vibe while still being smack dab in the middle of a massive metropolis. It’s also a great neighborhood for dog owners (or to convince you to get a dog!).

It’s not quite as “remote” as Dogpatch, but it’s still a bustling community for families who crave a little bit of quiet in the beautiful chaos of San Francisco. The attractiveness of this community for families with young children has earned the nickname “Stroller Valley.” (San Franciscans love a nickname for a community as much as they love the Golden Gate Bridge.)

The position of this valley leaves it with less fog and warmer days, with four parks within walking distance to enjoy the day. If you’re feeling lost in a new city or neighborhood, the Town Square is full of people looking to mingle and make connections.

Both Muni and BART service this community, but drivers also have pretty good access to the interstates heading east and south. Rental rates are competitive, about $200 lower than the city-wide average, at $3,095. Home values are down 15% as of April 2023, coming in at just over $1.8 million.

This is also a great neighborhood when you want those dramatic Victorian and Edwardian houses that scream, “I live in San Francisco!”

#2 Russian Hill

Median Age	36 years
Median Home Price	$1,520,505 million
Median Household Income	$150,647
Walkability	7/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	10/10
Transit	10/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for upper echelon professionals or those seeking the premiere lifestyle here.

It’s hard to argue that Russian Hill is one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for an idyllic experience. Places like Russian Hill are what came to mind when you thought of moving to this city in the first place, complete with the steep hills and cable car routes running through the community.

You’ll also find the famous “Crookedest Street in the World” on Lombard Street here. You’ll learn to like the novelty of the streets here, as parking can be challenging. The “Hill” in Russian Hill is worth considering, too, though most people will say you’ll get used to them in no time.

The views at Russian Hill are unparalleled, but the prices will rise with the altitude. The average rent is $3,295, which is slightly higher than the San Francisco average. That price will fluctuate greatly depending on the home’s latitude. It might not be the most adaptable family neighborhood due to those hills. From April 2022 to April 2023, home values were down nearly 16%, with single-family homes just over $2 million and condos dropping to $1.4 million.

You should expect tourist traffic coming through the neighborhood, but there are plenty of secret enclaves the tourists won’t know about (and we won’t tell them). Plus, you have North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf, with plenty of restaurants and entertainment options.

#1 Haight-Ashbury

Median Age	34 years
Median Home Price	$1,464,976 million
Median Household Income	$129,402
Walkability	9/10
Scenic Beauty & Parks	9/10
Transit	9/10

A best neighborhood in San Francisco for creators, artists, LGTBQIA+, and freethinkers.

Haight-Ashbury was ground zero for the sexual revolution in the Summer of 1967 and still holds onto the hippie vibe of people who are as independent as they are inclusive. The colorful buildings and eclectic businesses bring brightness to a city assumed to be covered in gray fog.

Victorian homes dominate the selling landscape, as this was one of the least-impacted parts of the city during the 1906 earthquake. This is one of the best San Francisco neighborhoods to soak in the cultural history and future, especially for newcomers looking to ease into big city life.

Being this close to Buena Vista Park still gets you those mesmerizing views of the city and the water without having to pay Russian Hill prices. You’ll still come out of pocket about $2,925 for rent, but that’s about 10% lower than the city’s average. Home values have dropped 13% as of April 2023, coming in just under $1.5 million.

The great thing about Haight-Ashbury is that everyone has a place here. You’re not too rich, too poor, too yuppie, or too elitist. You can just be yourself while enjoying Hayes Valley and Golden Gate Park right next door.