Smart Movers Club

    Moving to San Francisco, CA

    Is San Francisco a good place to live?

    Watch San Francisco

    San Francisco ranks #239 of 304 California cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (41/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 1.7% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $1,380,500
    +2.4% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $2,419
    per month
    Household income
    $141,446
    median
    Unemployment
    5.6%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in San Francisco

    The median home value in San Francisco is $1,380,500 and median rent is $2,419 a month, against a median household income of $141,446. Homes cost about 9.8× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    San Francisco crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across California the 2025 rate was 435 violent and 1,821 property crimes per 100,000 people — #9 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to San Francisco, CA

    San Francisco has about 836,321 residents, 5.6% unemployment and 35% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare San Francisco with

    San Francisco vs Los AngelesSan Francisco vs San DiegoSan Francisco vs San JoseSan Francisco vs FresnoSan Francisco vs SacramentoSan Francisco vs Long BeachSan Francisco vs OaklandSan Francisco vs Bakersfield

    More: Where to move in California · Best counties in California

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report