Population 45,167 · 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 Downtown San Francisco: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Downtown San Francisco
Household size in Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.64 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.69 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.65 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.57 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Downtown San Francisco is a place of small households, averaging 1.57 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 1.64 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. No other San Francisco neighborhood has smaller households.
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 Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.5 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.6 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Downtown San Francisco is 43.6 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.4, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the west.
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 Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.7% of households in Downtown San Francisco, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national share fell.
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 Downtown San Francisco
Renters in Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.2% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 93.5% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 94.1% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 92.3% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown San Francisco: 92.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over four in ten owners (42.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has fallen 2.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. No other San Francisco neighborhood has a higher share of renters.
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 Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Downtown San Francisco: 16.8% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is up 1.7 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 Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1946 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1951 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +16 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Downtown San Francisco is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1962, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1946 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the north.
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 Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $868 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $989 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,329 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,636 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$768 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Downtown San Francisco runs $1,636 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the San Francisco area as a whole ($2,666). Rents are up $768 a month from 2006–10, an 89% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Only one other San Francisco neighborhood has lower rents.
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 Downtown San Francisco
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.1% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.9% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.8% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 40.6% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.5 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Downtown San Francisco (40.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in the wider San Francisco area (52.2%). The share with a degree has risen 9.5 points since 2006–10, 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 Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.0% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.6% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.8% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.0% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Downtown San Francisco never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged down 1.0 points, even as the national rate rose. Downtown San Francisco has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of San Francisco neighborhoods.
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 Downtown San Francisco
| Period | Downtown San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown San Francisco runs well above the national rate: 10.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of San Francisco's 43 neighborhoods, only two have higher unemployment. 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).
Downtown San Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown San Francisco | 1.57 | 43.6 | 5.7% | 92.3% | 16.8% | 1962 | $1,636 | 40.6% | 80.0% | 10.4% |
| Union Square | 1.65 | 42.5 | 3.7% | 90.8% | 21.6% | 1953 | $1,700 | 47.9% | 83.9% | 12.6% |
| Nob Hill | 1.68 | 41.8 | 2.4% | 82.7% | 21.1% | 1944 | $2,377 | 62.8% | 87.8% | 5.0% |
| Chinatown-San Francisco | 1.96 | 52.8 | 5.0% | 90.5% | 18.5% | 1939 | $1,137 | 29.8% | 58.5% | 10.3% |
| Western Addition | 1.96 | 40.2 | 3.9% | 77.7% | 13.0% | 1959 | $2,340 | 66.6% | 93.4% | 6.7% |
| South of Market | 1.84 | 38.0 | 4.8% | 70.5% | 14.0% | 2000 | $2,873 | 67.0% | 91.3% | 6.6% |
| Pacific Heights | 1.72 | 38.8 | 2.5% | 71.0% | 16.4% | 1940 | $3,074 | 84.3% | 97.4% | 4.4% |
| Russian Hill | 1.84 | 39.1 | 3.7% | 77.7% | 17.1% | 1941 | $2,793 | 79.7% | 95.3% | 3.7% |
| Duboce Triangle | 1.77 | 41.0 | 2.8% | 64.6% | 12.9% | 1940 | $2,760 | 78.0% | 97.1% | 5.5% |
| Financial District | 1.73 | 40.7 | 4.5% | 77.1% | 21.4% | 1991 | $2,810 | 70.8% | 89.3% | 6.9% |
| Cow Hollow | 1.96 | 34.5 | 4.2% | 70.4% | 16.7% | 1941 | $3,214 | 83.1% | 97.2% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: University Heights, Bronx, NY · East Reno, Reno, NV · Edgewater, Chicago, IL · El Rancho, Pico Rivera, CA · El Sereno, Los Angeles, CA · Far North, Columbus, OH · Far Northwest, Fort Worth, TX · Far West, Fort Worth, TX · Greater Memorial, Houston, TX · Harbor Gateway, Torrance, 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 Downtown San Francisco. 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.