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    Best Neighborhoods in San Francisco, CA

    4 neighborhoods ranked by safety, walkability, affordability, and quality of life — powered by real data from the US Census, FBI, EPA, and Walk Score.

    Population: 873,9652026 Data

    Best Neighborhoods in San Francisco, CA — Key Takeaways

    The best neighborhood in San Francisco is Mission District with a Kurby Score of 66/100. San Francisco has 4 neighborhoods ranked by quality of life data. The safest neighborhood is Mission District with a violent crime rate of 5.0 per 1,000 residents. The most affordable is SOMA with a median home value of $950,000. The most walkable is Mission District with a Walk Score of 99/100.

    San Francisco has a population of 873,965, a median household income of $112,449, an unemployment rate of 3.8%. The median home value citywide is $1,200,000, which is 326% above the national average of $281,900.

    Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA AirNow, Walk Score, and FEMA. Last updated: March 2026.

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    Top 3 Neighborhoods

    Mission District

    66/100

    Kurby Score

    $1,200,000
    Walk: 99
    Crime: 5.0

    The Castro

    63/100

    Kurby Score

    $1,300,000
    Walk: 99
    Crime: 5.0

    SOMA

    60/100

    Kurby Score

    $950,000
    Walk: 95
    Crime: 5.0
    Complete Rankings — 4 Neighborhoods
    Best neighborhoods in San Francisco ranked by Kurby Score, with median home value, walk score, crime rate, poverty rate, and unemployment rate.
    #NeighborhoodKurby Score
    		Mission District66
    		The Castro63
    		SOMA60
    4
    		Nob Hill57

    Rankings by Category

    Top 5 neighborhoods in San Francisco for each quality-of-life metric.

    Safest

    Lowest violent crime rate

    1. 1
      Mission District
      5.0 per 1K
    2. 2
      The Castro
      5.0 per 1K
    3. 3
      SOMA
      5.0 per 1K
    4. 4
      Nob Hill
      5.0 per 1K
    Most Walkable

    Highest Walk Score

    1. 1
      Mission District
      99/100
    2. 2
      The Castro
      99/100
    3. 3
      Nob Hill
      98/100
    4. 4
      SOMA
      95/100
    Most Affordable

    Lowest median home value

    1. 1
      SOMA
      $950,000
    2. 2
      Nob Hill
      $1,050,000
    3. 3
      Mission District
      $1,200,000
    4. 4
      The Castro
      $1,300,000
    Lowest Unemployment

    Lowest unemployment rate

    1. 1
      Mission District
      3.8%
    2. 2
      The Castro
      3.8%
    3. 3
      SOMA
      3.8%
    4. 4
      Nob Hill
      3.8%
    Highest Income

    Highest median household income

    1. 1
      SOMA
      $183,507
    2. 2
      Mission District
      $164,539
    3. 3
      Nob Hill
      $158,750
    4. 4
      The Castro
      $149,781
    Best Air Quality

    Lowest Air Quality Index

    1. 1
      Mission District
      AQI 55
    2. 2
      The Castro
      AQI 55
    3. 3
      SOMA
      AQI 55
    4. 4
      Nob Hill
      AQI 55
    Best for Families

    Most nearby schools

    1. 1
      Nob Hill
      50 schools
    How We Rank Neighborhoods in San Francisco

    Neighborhoods are ranked using the Kurby Score, a composite quality-of-life index that evaluates seven weighted categories based on publicly available data:

    Affordability
    20% weight
    Walkability & Transit
    15% weight
    Safety
    15% weight
    Environment
    15% weight
    Housing Market
    15% weight
    Education
    10% weight
    Economy
    10% weight

    Each category incorporates multiple data points. For example, Safety uses both violent and property crime rates; Environment considers air quality (AQI), noise levels, climate risk, and flood zone status; Housing Market factors in vacancy rates, homeownership rates, and effective tax rates.

    Data Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), EPA AirNow, Walk Score, DOT National Transportation Noise Map, FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and EIA Electricity Data. All data is updated on a rolling basis as new government releases become available.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are the best neighborhoods in San Francisco?
    The top neighborhoods in San Francisco based on the Kurby Score are: Mission District, The Castro, SOMA, Nob Hill. These rankings consider safety, walkability, affordability, air quality, and schools.
    What is the safest neighborhood in San Francisco?
    The safest neighborhood in San Francisco is Mission District with a violent crime rate of 5.0 per 1,000 residents. The national average is 3.7 per 1,000.
    What is the most affordable neighborhood in San Francisco?
    The most affordable neighborhood in San Francisco is SOMA with a median home value of $950,000. The national median is $281,900.
    What is the most walkable neighborhood in San Francisco?
    The most walkable neighborhood in San Francisco is Mission District with a Walk Score of 99/100. The national average Walk Score is 48/100.
    What is the unemployment rate in San Francisco?
    The unemployment rate in San Francisco, CA is 3.8%. The national average is 3.7%.
    What is the median household income in San Francisco?
    The median household income in San Francisco, CA is $112,449. The national median is $74,580.

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