Population 4,485 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown South San Francisco
Household size in Downtown South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.01 | 2.98 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.82 | 3.05 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.38 | 3.17 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.82 | 2.98 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | +0.01 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Downtown South San Francisco holds 2.82 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Still, the typical household here is smaller than in South San Francisco overall, where it has 2.98 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.01, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8 | 38.3 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.8 | 40.2 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.4 | 40.6 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.4 | 43.4 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.6 | +5.1 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Downtown South San Francisco is 37.4 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1.
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 South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 9.7% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 9.3% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.8% | 10.3% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 8.6% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Downtown South San Francisco as they are nationally: 11.3%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in South San Francisco overall (8.6%).
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 South San Francisco
Renters in Downtown South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.7% | 39.5% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 83.6% | 40.6% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 87.6% | 39.0% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 84.2% | 41.2% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +1.8 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Downtown South San Francisco rent: 84.2% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 27.0% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%.
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 South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 5.5% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 6.0% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.9% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 8.5% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | +3.0 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Downtown South San Francisco: 15.2% 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.
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 South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1965 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1951 | 1965 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1965 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1969 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +33 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Downtown South San Francisco has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1994, versus 1980 nationally.
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 South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,053 | $1,564 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,234 | $1,606 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,985 | $2,460 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,626 | $2,905 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,573 | +$1,341 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Downtown South San Francisco costs $2,626 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in South San Francisco as a whole ($2,905). The typical renter here spends 38.4% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 South San Francisco
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.6% | 31.5% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 30.2% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 34.9% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 40.4% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +8.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Downtown South San Francisco than nationally: 29.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.8% | 84.3% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 59.2% | 83.3% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 72.7% | 85.8% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 70.6% | 85.6% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +1.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About three in ten adults in Downtown South San Francisco never finished high school, well above the national share: only 70.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 South San Francisco
| Period | Downtown South San Francisco | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 5.8% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 7.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 3.1% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 2.8% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −3.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown South San Francisco has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of South San Francisco. 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).
Downtown South 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 South San Francisco | 2.82 | 37.4 | 11.3% | 84.2% | 15.2% | 1994 | $2,626 | 29.6% | 70.6% | 2.6% |
| Paradise Valley | 2.91 | 47.0 | 6.3% | 28.7% | 6.9% | 1977 | $2,765 | 45.3% | 83.1% | 5.7% |
| Sunshine Gardens | 2.92 | 44.5 | 10.6% | 48.4% | 11.6% | 1974 | $2,476 | 38.9% | 85.4% | 4.9% |
| El Camino | 2.63 | 44.6 | 8.4% | 47.0% | 10.6% | 1969 | $2,737 | 41.0% | 86.4% | 1.9% |
| Lindenville | 3.53 | 39.2 | 7.0% | 42.2% | 10.8% | 1964 | $2,469 | 33.1% | 84.8% | 7.9% |
| Serra Highlands | 2.97 | 44.1 | 8.1% | 14.4% | 6.8% | 1956 | $3,325 | 41.4% | 89.5% | 1.9% |
| Westborough | 3.45 | 44.8 | 6.3% | 27.6% | 4.8% | 1973 | $3,330 | 45.9% | 87.6% | 1.7% |
| Serramonte | 2.69 | 43.1 | 5.6% | 39.2% | 6.3% | 1975 | $2,808 | 41.1% | 92.6% | 4.3% |
| Westview | 2.89 | 41.6 | 10.9% | 39.8% | 3.8% | 1969 | $3,102 | 51.0% | 91.5% | 5.5% |
| Hillside | 3.41 | 44.1 | 9.6% | 40.0% | 9.8% | 1968 | $2,292 | 35.3% | 86.0% | 4.3% |
| Visitacion Valley | 3.35 | 44.4 | 12.1% | 37.8% | 5.0% | 1954 | $2,026 | 26.2% | 74.7% | 6.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Yorktown, Huntington Beach, CA · Central Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh, PA · Geneva, Orem, UT · Villages at Rancho El Dorado, Silver Bell, AZ · The Plot, Scranton, PA · McKinney, Austin, TX · Athenia, Clifton, NJ · Wildwood Park, San Bernardino, CA · Far West, Wilsonville, OR · Farm Hills, Redwood City, 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 South 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.
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