Fresno vs San Francisco
Fresno, California versus San Francisco, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Fresno and San Francisco score about the same overall (42 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fresno | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $137k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $74k |
| Home Value | $322k | $1.3M |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.77% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.17% | 22.68% |
| Unemployment | 9.0% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 48°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 62°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.4 in | 30.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 275 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 230 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 67.5 | 96.2 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 35 AQI |
| School Quality | 79.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1939/100k | 1317/100k |
| Property Crime | 3461/100k | 6246/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 541,528 | 851,036 |
| Median Age | 32.1 | 39.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.72 | 0.69 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 1.06 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+74 |
| White (%) | 25.4% | 38.3% |
| Black (%) | 6.2% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 50.5% | 15.5% |
| Asian (%) | 13.7% | 34.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.2% | 6.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 14.6/20 | 16.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 124 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.7% | 91.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 13.13 | 42.56 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Fresno or San Francisco more affordable?
- Fresno has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Fresno's $53k and San Francisco's $74k. Median rent is $1k in Fresno versus $2k in San Francisco.
- Is Fresno or San Francisco safer?
- San Francisco has the lower violent crime rate. Fresno reports 1939/100k and San Francisco reports 1317/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Fresno or San Francisco?
- The median home value is $322k in Fresno and $1.3M in San Francisco, so homes are more affordable in Fresno.