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Pacifica vs San Bruno

Pacifica, California versus San Bruno, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Pacifica

Solid · objective livability50/100

San Bruno

Solid · objective livability51/100

Pacifica and San Bruno score about the same overall (50 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorPacificaSan Bruno
Affordability
Median Household Income$152k$132k
Cost of Living$74k$94k
Home Value$1.2M$1.2M
Monthly Rent$3k$3k
Monthly Owner Costs$4k$3k
Property Tax Rate0.58%0.50%
Income Tax13.30%13.30%
Sales Tax8.85%8.85%
Estimated total tax burden20.78%20.72%
Unemployment3.8%4.6%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F51°F
Summer Temp (Jul)63°F63°F
Annual Precipitation27.1 in27.1 in
Annual Snowfall0.0 in0.0 in
Sunny Days231 days231 days
Summer Humidity53°F53°F
Comfortable Days230 days230 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk80.869.0
Air Quality38 AQI38 AQI
School Quality100.0100.0
Violent Crime890/100k644/100k
Property Crime1494/100k2582/100k
Community
Population38,04843,218
Median Age43.239.0
Racial Diversity0.610.72
Male/Female Ratio1.001.02
Political LeaningD+74D+59
White (%)50.9%29.2%
Black (%)2.0%1.0%
Hispanic (%)18.3%29.5%
Asian (%)21.0%32.2%
Other / Multiracial (%)7.8%8.1%
Getting Around
Commute Time29 min26 min
Walkability7.2/208.3/20
Airport Distance6 mi3 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access97.0%93.2%
Amenities Nearby101.45120.32
Park & Nature AccessGoodGood

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 Pacifica or San Bruno more affordable?
Pacifica has the lower cost of living: its index is $74k, compared with Pacifica's $74k and San Bruno's $94k. Median rent is $3k in Pacifica versus $3k in San Bruno.
Is Pacifica or San Bruno safer?
San Bruno has the lower violent crime rate. Pacifica reports 890/100k and San Bruno reports 644/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Pacifica or San Bruno?
The median home value is $1.2M in Pacifica and $1.2M in San Bruno, so homes are more affordable in San Bruno.
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