Population 5,498 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sunshine Gardens
Household size in Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.93 | 2.98 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.95 | 3.05 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.99 | 3.17 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.98 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.01 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Sunshine Gardens are large by national standards, averaging 2.92 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the southwest.
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 Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1 | 38.3 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.9 | 40.2 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.2 | 40.6 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.5 | 43.4 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.4 | +5.1 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.5, Sunshine Gardens is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 34.1 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 9.3% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 10.3% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 8.6% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Sunshine Gardens as they are nationally: 10.6%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in South San Francisco as a whole (8.6%). The single-parent share is down 3.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Sunshine Gardens
Renters in Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.2% | 39.5% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 57.7% | 40.6% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.6% | 39.0% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.4% | 41.2% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.9 pts | +1.8 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Sunshine Gardens than nationally: 48.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Nearly three in ten owners (29.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northwest. The renter share is down 5.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.0% | 5.5% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.0% | 6.0% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 8.5% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +3.0 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Sunshine Gardens: 11.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 8.6 points, 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 Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1965 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1965 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1965 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1969 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Sunshine Gardens run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in South San Francisco as a whole, where the median home dates to 1969. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
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 Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,560 | $1,564 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,594 | $1,606 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,037 | $2,460 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,476 | $2,905 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$916 | +$1,341 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sunshine Gardens pays $2,476 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in South San Francisco overall ($2,905). Rent has climbed $916 a month since 2006–10, up 59%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 42.3% of the typical renter's income, 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 Sunshine Gardens
Bachelor's degrees in Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0% | 31.5% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 30.2% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.5% | 34.9% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.9% | 40.4% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +8.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Sunshine Gardens than nationally: 38.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 1.8 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the east.
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 Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.6% | 84.3% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.7% | 83.3% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 85.8% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.4% | 85.6% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Sunshine Gardens never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. South San Francisco as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has fallen 2.2 points, even as the national rate rose.
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 Sunshine Gardens
| Period | Sunshine Gardens | South San Francisco | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 5.8% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 7.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 3.1% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 2.8% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | −3.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.9%, unemployment in Sunshine Gardens is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in South San Francisco overall (2.8%). Unemployment is up 1.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Sunshine Gardens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| Serra Highlands | 2.97 | 44.1 | 8.1% | 14.4% | 6.8% | 1956 | $3,325 | 41.4% | 89.5% | 1.9% |
| Paradise Valley | 2.91 | 47.0 | 6.3% | 28.7% | 6.9% | 1977 | $2,765 | 45.3% | 83.1% | 5.7% |
| Downtown South San Francisco | 2.82 | 37.4 | 11.3% | 84.2% | 15.2% | 1994 | $2,626 | 29.6% | 70.6% | 2.6% |
| 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% |
| Lindenville | 3.53 | 39.2 | 7.0% | 42.2% | 10.8% | 1964 | $2,469 | 33.1% | 84.8% | 7.9% |
| 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% |
| Fairmont | 3.38 | 41.0 | 16.5% | 35.5% | 2.5% | 1967 | $3,398 | 42.7% | 92.2% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: City Center North, Aurora, CO · North Square, Waterbury, CT · South Westside, Olympia, WA · Sobrante Park, Oakland, CA · Shadow Hills, Sunland, CA · Seminole Holland, Springfield, MO · Sehome, Bellingham, WA · Sans Souci, Jacksonville, FL · Saint Francis Wood, San Francisco, CA · Rose Village, Vancouver, WA
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 Sunshine Gardens. 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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