Population 9,287 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Cole Valley: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Cole Valley
Household size in Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.07 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.13 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Cole Valley is a place of small households, averaging 2.07 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the east.
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 Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.1 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.2 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.9 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.2 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.0 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.2, Cole Valley is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has dropped from 37.1 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Few San Francisco neighborhoods are younger: only three of 43.
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 Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.1% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.1% of households in Cole Valley, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.5 points, as it has nationally. Cole Valley has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of San Francisco neighborhoods.
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 Cole Valley
Renters in Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.1% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 63.0% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.1% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 64.8% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Cole Valley rent: 64.8% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. More than a quarter of owners (26.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Cole Valley: 12.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, 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 Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1945 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1943 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1947 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Cole Valley is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1947, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,726 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,856 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,437 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,121 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,395 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Cole Valley costs $3,121 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,395 a month since 2006–10, up 81%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 23.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the west.
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 Cole Valley
Bachelor's degrees in Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.6% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 80.3% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 84.0% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 84.5% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Cole Valley is highly educated: just over eight in ten adults 25 and older (84.5%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 3.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Cole Valley has the highest share of college graduates of any San Francisco neighborhood.
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 Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.2% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.8% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.6% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.3% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Cole Valley: 98.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Of San Francisco's 43 neighborhoods, only two have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Cole Valley
| Period | Cole Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.1% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cole Valley is the same as the national rate: 5.4% of the labor force. Unemployment has edged up 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Cole Valley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Valley | 2.07 | 35.2 | 3.1% | 64.8% | 12.7% | 1947 | $3,121 | 84.5% | 98.3% | 5.4% |
| Haight-Ashbury | 2.04 | 36.1 | 3.6% | 73.2% | 12.0% | 1938 | $2,871 | 78.8% | 96.4% | 3.7% |
| Castro-Upper Market | 1.97 | 43.6 | 2.9% | 55.6% | 11.7% | 1946 | $2,983 | 80.4% | 97.8% | 4.1% |
| Twin Peaks | 2.23 | 49.7 | 5.7% | 49.8% | 6.9% | 1959 | $2,532 | 65.1% | 92.7% | 4.4% |
| Inner Sunset | 2.27 | 40.7 | 4.2% | 58.2% | 10.4% | 1946 | $3,119 | 74.0% | 93.4% | 3.8% |
| Duboce Triangle | 1.77 | 41.0 | 2.8% | 64.6% | 12.9% | 1940 | $2,760 | 78.0% | 97.1% | 5.5% |
| Diamond Heights | 1.87 | 42.3 | 6.4% | 37.4% | 8.5% | 1969 | $3,131 | 75.8% | 98.6% | 1.1% |
| Inner Richmond | 2.28 | 39.5 | 6.8% | 64.4% | 11.3% | 1942 | $2,654 | 70.4% | 92.9% | 4.6% |
| Noe Valley | 2.12 | 39.6 | 3.5% | 53.2% | 11.6% | 1944 | $3,192 | 83.4% | 99.0% | 3.5% |
| Western Addition | 1.96 | 40.2 | 3.9% | 77.7% | 13.0% | 1959 | $2,340 | 66.6% | 93.4% | 6.7% |
| Presidio Heights | 2.13 | 39.7 | 4.7% | 65.3% | 10.2% | 1944 | $2,861 | 81.8% | 97.8% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Iowa State University, Ames, IA · Village de L'Est, New Orleans, LA · Downtown East, Las Vegas, NV · Mill Park, Portland, OR · Wright Area, Santa Rosa, CA · Westside Community Betterment, Springfield, MO · Walker, Maywood, CA · Southside, Easton, PA · Security, Security-Widefield, CO · Richmond, Lehigh Acres, FL
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 Cole Valley. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.