Population 36,093 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Pacifica
Household size in Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.69 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.74 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.88 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.74 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Pacifica average 2.74 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Household size has crept up from 2.69 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast 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 Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.2 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.8 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.2 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.6 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Pacifica skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.2, 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 40.6 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 Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Pacifica: 8.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. That is in line with the rest of the San Francisco area. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.0 points, mirroring the country.
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 Pacifica
Renters in Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.4% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.4% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.9% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Pacifica is about as common as it is nationally: 32.9% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the San Francisco area overall (44.5%). Among owners, 32.2% have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southeast.
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 Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.7% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Pacifica: 5.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is up 1.1 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 Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Pacifica is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1965, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The San Francisco area as a whole looks much the same. Pacifica has older homes than at least four in five California cities.
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 Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,624 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,766 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,476 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,089 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,465 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Pacifica costs $3,089 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,465 a month since 2006–10, up 90%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Only 59 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have higher 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 Pacifica
Bachelor's degrees in Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 41.1% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.2% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 48.6% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.8 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Pacifica: 48.6% 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. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the San Francisco area as a whole (52.2%). The share with a degree is up 10.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.0% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.4% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.4% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Pacifica: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Pacifica has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five California cities.
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 Pacifica
| Period | Pacifica | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Pacifica runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Pacifica compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacifica | 2.74 | 45.2 | 8.1% | 32.9% | 5.8% | 1965 | $3,089 | 48.6% | 95.2% | 3.9% |
| Millbrae Meadows | 2.54 | 55.7 | 2.4% | 4.4% | 8.5% | 1972 | $3,501 | 56.9% | 96.3% | 2.9% |
| San Bruno | 2.91 | 40.7 | 7.2% | 38.2% | 8.6% | 1963 | $2,856 | 44.4% | 90.7% | 5.2% |
| Pedro Valley | 2.82 | 46.0 | 5.0% | 24.5% | 17.2% | 1970 | $3,453 | 43.1% | 93.0% | 0.0% |
| South San Francisco | 2.98 | 43.4 | 8.6% | 41.2% | 8.5% | 1969 | $2,905 | 40.4% | 85.6% | 2.8% |
| Colma | 3.01 | 37.1 | 11.3% | 54.6% | 20.1% | 1989 | $2,041 | 28.5% | 81.1% | 4.3% |
| Daly City | 3.22 | 42.8 | 8.3% | 41.2% | 10.1% | 1964 | $2,773 | 38.4% | 88.3% | 5.2% |
| Millbrae | 2.82 | 44.1 | 7.0% | 38.8% | 7.2% | 1964 | $3,142 | 51.9% | 93.2% | 5.2% |
| Montara | 2.82 | 53.7 | 14.7% | 21.5% | 17.7% | 1975 | $3,038 | 63.9% | 94.3% | 9.9% |
| Brisbane | 2.61 | 44.2 | 7.9% | 44.2% | 12.3% | 1979 | $2,750 | 48.1% | 86.7% | 8.3% |
| Burlingame | 2.51 | 41.7 | 6.9% | 50.9% | 11.0% | 1956 | $2,806 | 65.1% | 94.7% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Adrian, MI · Brighton, NY · Clementon, NJ · Rio Grande City, TX · Lockport, NY · Richfield, MN · Parkland, WA · Odenton, MD · Oakville, MO · Oak Creek, WI
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 Pacifica. 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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