Population 19,535 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bernal Heights
Household size in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.69 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.71 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.68 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.54 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Bernal Heights run a little small, averaging 2.54 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.69 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.6 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.4 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.1 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.1 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Bernal Heights skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 38.1 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.9% of households in Bernal Heights, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 4.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Compared with other San Francisco neighborhoods, though, Bernal Heights has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bernal Heights
Renters in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.0% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.3% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.3% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Bernal Heights is about as common as it is nationally: 35.3% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the San Francisco area as a whole (44.5%). Among homeowners, 26.7% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 5.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Just as many homes sit empty in Bernal Heights as nationally: 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the San Francisco area as a whole (7.5%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.8 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1941 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1943 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1942 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1942 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Bernal Heights is a place of older homes: half were built before 1942, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,424 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,556 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,021 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,894 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,470 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Bernal Heights runs $2,894 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,470 a month since 2006–10, up 103%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 24.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bernal Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.2% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 57.4% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 60.6% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 66.1% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Bernal Heights: 66.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 10.9 points, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.1% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.3% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.2% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.1% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Bernal Heights is above the national rate: 93.1% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bernal Heights
| Period | Bernal Heights | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bernal Heights runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bernal Heights compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernal Heights | 2.54 | 44.1 | 6.9% | 35.3% | 9.6% | 1942 | $2,894 | 66.1% | 93.1% | 3.9% |
| St Marys Park | 3.11 | 42.8 | 7.7% | 37.1% | 6.7% | 1944 | $2,984 | 44.7% | 85.3% | 5.3% |
| Silver Terrace | 3.58 | 44.2 | 5.4% | 31.5% | 5.3% | 1962 | $2,663 | 30.4% | 74.6% | 10.0% |
| Glen Park | 2.50 | 40.4 | 3.8% | 37.1% | 8.3% | 1948 | $2,852 | 73.9% | 94.7% | 3.4% |
| Noe Valley | 2.12 | 39.6 | 3.5% | 53.2% | 11.6% | 1944 | $3,192 | 83.4% | 99.0% | 3.5% |
| Liberty Street Historic District | 2.00 | 40.1 | 5.1% | 69.6% | 15.1% | 1939 | $2,714 | 78.8% | 96.2% | 7.1% |
| Mission | 2.35 | 38.4 | 10.7% | 71.4% | 12.7% | 1953 | $2,438 | 54.9% | 82.4% | 6.9% |
| Diamond Heights | 1.87 | 42.3 | 6.4% | 37.4% | 8.5% | 1969 | $3,131 | 75.8% | 98.6% | 1.1% |
| Excelsior | 3.51 | 42.0 | 9.8% | 36.0% | 6.1% | 1943 | $2,447 | 35.8% | 80.8% | 7.9% |
| Potrero | 2.01 | 35.1 | 6.7% | 57.9% | 12.3% | 1987 | $3,235 | 81.9% | 96.1% | 4.5% |
| Castro-Upper Market | 1.97 | 43.6 | 2.9% | 55.6% | 11.7% | 1946 | $2,983 | 80.4% | 97.8% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Sherwood-Tualatin South, Tualatin, OR · Great Bridge East, Chesapeake, VA · Upper State, Santa Barbara, CA · Kailua Kona, Kailua-Kona, HI · Kenwood, Chicago, IL · Magnolia, Seattle, WA · Maplewood, Rochester, NY · Cherry Creek, Denver, CO · Park Hill, Denver, CO · Westside, Santa Cruz, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bernal Heights. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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