Population 52,112 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South of Market
Household size in South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.81 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.85 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.94 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.84 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in South of Market are small: just 1.84 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southeast.
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 South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.5 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.3 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.0 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of South of Market is 38.0 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 37.5, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the southeast, the oldest in the north.
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 South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.8% of households in South of Market, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.9 points, even as 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 South of Market
Renters in South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.3% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 67.7% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 70.9% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 70.5% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in South of Market rent: 70.5% 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, 26.5% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.7% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in South of Market: 14.0% 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 has edged down 1.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1993 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1991 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1996 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2000 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in South of Market is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2000, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1993 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the northwest has the oldest housing. No other San Francisco neighborhood has newer homes.
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 South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,555 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,550 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,343 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,873 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,318 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in South of Market costs $2,873 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,318 a month since 2006–10, up 85%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 25.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the north.
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 South of Market
Bachelor's degrees in South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 57.9% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 62.1% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 64.0% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 67.0% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in South of Market: 67.0% 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. The share with a degree is up 9.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.1% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.1% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.9% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in South of Market have finished high school (91.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.2 points, as it has 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 South of Market
| Period | South of Market | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in South of Market: 6.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
South of Market 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South of Market | 1.84 | 38.0 | 4.8% | 70.5% | 14.0% | 2000 | $2,873 | 67.0% | 91.3% | 6.6% |
| Union Square | 1.65 | 42.5 | 3.7% | 90.8% | 21.6% | 1953 | $1,700 | 47.9% | 83.9% | 12.6% |
| Downtown San Francisco | 1.57 | 43.6 | 5.7% | 92.3% | 16.8% | 1962 | $1,636 | 40.6% | 80.0% | 10.4% |
| Financial District | 1.73 | 40.7 | 4.5% | 77.1% | 21.4% | 1991 | $2,810 | 70.8% | 89.3% | 6.9% |
| Chinatown-San Francisco | 1.96 | 52.8 | 5.0% | 90.5% | 18.5% | 1939 | $1,137 | 29.8% | 58.5% | 10.3% |
| Potrero | 2.01 | 35.1 | 6.7% | 57.9% | 12.3% | 1987 | $3,235 | 81.9% | 96.1% | 4.5% |
| Nob Hill | 1.68 | 41.8 | 2.4% | 82.7% | 21.1% | 1944 | $2,377 | 62.8% | 87.8% | 5.0% |
| Mission | 2.35 | 38.4 | 10.7% | 71.4% | 12.7% | 1953 | $2,438 | 54.9% | 82.4% | 6.9% |
| Western Addition | 1.96 | 40.2 | 3.9% | 77.7% | 13.0% | 1959 | $2,340 | 66.6% | 93.4% | 6.7% |
| 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% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Chicago Lawn, Chicago, IL · Allapattah, Miami, FL · Germantown, Philadelphia, PA · Fresno-High, Fresno, CA · Fordham, Bronx, NY · Downtown Jersey City, Jersey City, NJ · Covina-Valley, Covina, CA · Flagami, Miami, FL · Coral Way, Miami, FL · Central East Denver, Denver, CO
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 South of Market. 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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