San Francisco, you weren’t able to clinch Super Bowl LIV, but you definitely win at having some of the best places to live in America. And, since HomeSnacks is our name and ranking places is OUR game, we know where those places are located, and we’ve conveniently listed the best neighborhoods in San Francisco for 2026 below.
If you’ve been to San Francisco, you know that this city is a cultural explosion of great food, cutting edge entertainment, and a mix of classic and progressive architecture–the views of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge aren’t so bad, either. We’re also pretty sure that if you’ve experienced even half of what the Bay City has to offer, you’ve thought about moving to this Northern California gem. Then, you looked at San Francisco’s price tag; and quite frankly, this city is not meant for the people who are barely scraping by–it’s meant for people who make at least $123,850/year. Heck, there’s a reason a place this great hasn’t broken a million residents and that reason is San Francisco’s high cost of living.
But, you’re an optimist, so you get yourself a good job and you’re going to live in San Francisco no matter the cost. So, whether you’re looking to buy your forever home in San Fran or rent, take a look at our list because we’ve taken the guessing out of the equation by using the latest census data to rank San Francisco’s 34 neighborhoods. To get the most accurate list, we looked at things like median income levels and median home prices; because honestly, if you are going to spend far above the national average for your living situation, you should expect the best: the safest communities, the best jobs, and the best amenities. Not surprising, San Francisco’s best neighborhoods have all of this and then some.
So, if you want to know the San Francisco neighborhoods that are on everyone’s wish list, keep reading.
$172,749 median income · $1,749,956 median home value
$169,878 median income · $2,000,001 median home value
$185,103 median income · $1,714,572 median home value
$164,460 median income · $1,452,611 median home value
$142,263 median income · $1,614,046 median home value
$130,238 median income · $1,364,986 median home value
$169,820 median income · $1,403,600 median home value
$143,447 median income · $1,324,689 median home value
$143,080 median income · $1,230,414 median home value
$111,424 median income · $1,403,934 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
California statewide median: $99,122
California statewide median: $774,582
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best San Francisco, CA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in San Francisco, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 34 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In San Francisco.” We’re lookin’ at you, Pacific Heights.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places San Francisco, California has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in San Francisco.
The full plate
Table: Best San Francisco neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Heights | 19,649 | $1,749,956 | $172,749 |
| 2 | Presidio Heights | 4,672 | $2,000,001 | $169,878 |
| 3 | Noe Valley | 16,095 | $1,714,572 | $185,103 |
| 4 | Russian Hill | 14,756 | $1,452,611 | $164,460 |
| 5 | Inner Richmond | 19,022 | $1,614,046 | $142,263 |
| 6 | Inner Sunset | 17,334 | $1,364,986 | $130,238 |
| 7 | Glen Park | 9,165 | $1,403,600 | $169,820 |
| 8 | Haight-Ashbury | 11,856 | $1,324,689 | $143,447 |
| 9 | Bernal Heights | 27,627 | $1,230,414 | $143,080 |
| 10 | Nob Hill | 17,902 | $1,403,934 | $111,424 |
| 11 | Marina | 13,099 | $1,635,620 | $174,122 |
| 12 | Diamond Heights | 3,183 | $1,040,967 | $151,943 |
| 13 | Chinatown | 6,383 | $1,439,650 | $37,799 |
| 14 | Outer Richmond | 16,587 | $1,382,200 | $111,188 |
| 15 | Twin Peaks | 3,830 | $1,359,633 | $159,190 |
| 16 | Parkside | 18,914 | $1,182,169 | $116,184 |
| 17 | West Of Twin Peaks | 21,375 | $1,095,080 | $153,714 |
| 18 | Mission | 59,096 | $1,264,405 | $142,907 |
| 19 | South Of Market | 28,489 | $1,032,286 | $131,546 |
| 20 | Seacliff | 1,429 | $1,346,400 | $134,269 |
| 21 | Crocker Amazon | 13,076 | $933,325 | $92,029 |
| 22 | Financial District | 3,915 | $1,564,881 | $104,669 |
| 23 | Potrero Hill | 11,617 | $1,225,156 | $180,007 |
| 24 | Western Addition | 11,227 | $900,512 | $77,757 |
| 25 | Outer Sunset | 18,347 | $1,023,558 | $121,072 |
| 26 | Excelsior | 25,088 | $900,731 | $86,292 |
| 27 | Outer Mission | 11,675 | $888,962 | $103,917 |
| 28 | Castro-Upper Market | 21,884 | $1,067,308 | $127,427 |
| 29 | Ocean View | 30,618 | $678,568 | $78,895 |
| 30 | Downtown | 19,497 | $1,135,756 | $76,499 |
| 31 | Lakeshore | 4,596 | $1,341,175 | $102,761 |
| 32 | North Beach | 6,775 | $1,309,850 | $49,026 |
| 33 | Visitacion Valley | 21,563 | $835,962 | $74,577 |
| 34 | Bayview | 22,475 | $809,839 | $90,666 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 34 San Francisco neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in San Francisco where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in San Francisco are Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Noe Valley, Russian Hill, Inner Richmond, Inner Sunset, Glen Park, Haight-Ashbury, Bernal Heights, and Nob Hill.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in San Francisco aren’t all good. Bayview takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in San Francisco.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on California? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In San Francisco FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in San Francisco?
Pacific Heights is the best neighborhood in San Francisco for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Presidio Heights and Noe Valley are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in San Francisco?
The best neighborhoods in San Francisco are Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Noe Valley, Russian Hill, Inner Richmond, Inner Sunset, Glen Park, Haight-Ashbury, Bernal Heights, and Nob Hill. We ranked all 34 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is Pacific Heights?
The median household income in Pacific Heights is $172,749 and the median home costs $1,749,956. The best blocks in San Francisco rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank San Francisco neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, Pacific Heights, takes the top spot.
Which San Francisco neighborhood ranked last?
Bayview came in last of the 34 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in San Francisco the numbers put it there.
