San Diego vs San Francisco
San Diego, 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.
San Diego and San Francisco score about the same overall (47 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | San Diego | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $99k | $137k |
| Cost of Living | $78k | $74k |
| Home Value | $783k | $1.3M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.68% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.64% | 22.68% |
| Unemployment | 6.1% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 62°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 11.7 in | 30.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 228 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 312 days | 230 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 23.5 | 96.2 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 35 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 986/100k | 1317/100k |
| Property Crime | 1827/100k | 6246/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,383,987 | 851,036 |
| Median Age | 35.8 | 39.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.65 | 0.69 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.04 | 1.06 |
| Political Leaning | D+23 | D+74 |
| White (%) | 41.5% | 38.3% |
| Black (%) | 5.6% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 30.1% | 15.5% |
| Asian (%) | 17.1% | 34.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.8% | 6.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 10.3/20 | 16.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.2% | 91.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 4.02 | 42.56 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 San Diego or San Francisco more affordable?
- San Francisco has the lower cost of living: its index is $74k, compared with San Diego's $78k and San Francisco's $74k. Median rent is $2k in San Diego versus $2k in San Francisco.
- Is San Diego or San Francisco safer?
- San Diego has the lower violent crime rate. San Diego reports 986/100k and San Francisco reports 1317/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in San Diego or San Francisco?
- The median home value is $783k in San Diego and $1.3M in San Francisco, so homes are more affordable in San Diego.