Pacifica vs San Francisco
Pacifica, 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.
Pacifica edges out San Francisco on overall objective livability (50 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Pacifica | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $152k | $137k |
| Cost of Living | $74k | $74k |
| Home Value | $1.2M | $1.3M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.58% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.78% | 22.68% |
| Unemployment | 3.8% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 62°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 27.1 in | 30.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 230 days | 230 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 80.8 | 96.2 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 35 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 890/100k | 1317/100k |
| Property Crime | 1494/100k | 6246/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 38,048 | 851,036 |
| Median Age | 43.2 | 39.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.61 | 0.69 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 1.06 |
| Political Leaning | D+74 | D+74 |
| White (%) | 50.9% | 38.3% |
| Black (%) | 2.0% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 18.3% | 15.5% |
| Asian (%) | 21.0% | 34.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.8% | 6.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 7.2/20 | 16.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 97.0% | 91.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 101.45 | 42.56 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Pacifica or San Francisco more affordable?
- San Francisco has the lower cost of living: its index is $74k, compared with Pacifica's $74k and San Francisco's $74k. Median rent is $3k in Pacifica versus $2k in San Francisco.
- Is Pacifica or San Francisco safer?
- Pacifica has the lower violent crime rate. Pacifica reports 890/100k and San Francisco reports 1317/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Pacifica or San Francisco?
- The median home value is $1.2M in Pacifica and $1.3M in San Francisco, so homes are more affordable in Pacifica.