What is the median rent in San Francisco, CA?
The median gross rent in San Francisco, CA is $2,476 (±$30) a month, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
That is across 218,315 rented homes; gross rent is the contract rent plus the utilities and fuels a renter pays separately.
In San Francisco, the median gross rent went from $1,895 in 2015–2019 to $2,476 in 2020–2024 (+30.7%).
Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.
Figures last updated on .
- Median gross rent
- $2,476 (±$30)
- Rented homes
- 218,315 (±2,404)
- $2,000 or more
- 62.6%
- Since 2015–2019
- +30.7%
How much rent costs in San Francisco
| Monthly gross rent | San Francisco | San Francisco County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $500 | 7.3% (±0.6 points) | 7.3% | 3.6% | 6.3% |
| $500 to $999 | 7.5% (±0.4 points) | 7.5% | 7.2% | 20.2% |
| $1,000 to $1,499 | 10.5% (±0.5 points) | 10.5% | 16.2% | 28.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 12.0% (±0.5 points) | 12.0% | 21.5% | 21.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,499 | 13.2% (±0.7 points) | 13.2% | 19.8% | 12.0% |
| $2,500 to $2,999 | 11.2% (±0.6 points) | 11.2% | 12.5% | 5.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 38.2% (±0.8 points) | 38.2% | 19.1% | 6.8% |
The most common range is $3,000 or more, paid by 38.2% of renting households.
62.6% of rented homes in San Francisco cost $2,000 or more a month.
San Francisco against San Francisco County, its state and the nation
| San Francisco | San Francisco County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $2,476 (±$30) | $2,476 (±$30) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Rented homes paying rent | 218,315 (±2,404) | 218,315 (±2,404) | 5,783,331 (±22,650) | 42,849,984 |
In San Francisco, median gross rent is not measurably different from San Francisco County ($2,476).
It is also higher than in California ($2,036).
It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).
Statewide, it ranks 206 of 1,010.
Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.
How rent in San Francisco has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,895 (±$23) | $2,476 (±$30) | +30.7% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 62.4% (±0.5 points) | 61.8% (±0.6 points) | −0.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.9% (±0.4 points) | 6.7% (±0.5 points) | +3.8 percentage points | Measurable increase |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Median gross rent in places near San Francisco
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Compared with this place |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | — | $2,476 (±$30) | — |
| Bolinas | 22 mi | $1,924 (±$951) | Not measurably different |
| Inverness | 26 mi | $1,829 (±$879) | Not measurably different |
| Lagunitas-Forest Knolls | 27 mi | $2,387 (±$1,961) | Not measurably different |
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | 29 mi | $3,500 or more | — |
| Mill Valley | 30 mi | $3,278 (±$682) | Higher |
| Kentfield | 30 mi | $2,741 (±$374) | Not measurably different |
| Fairfax | 30 mi | $2,367 (±$233) | Not measurably different |
| Marin City | 30 mi | $1,335 (±$217) | Lower |
Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Marin City, CA ($1,335).
Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Mill Valley, CA ($3,278).
Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about San Francisco
What is the average rent in San Francisco, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in San Francisco is $2,476 (±$30) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much has rent gone up in San Francisco?
In San Francisco, the median gross rent went from $1,895 in 2015–2019 to $2,476 in 2020–2024 (+30.7%).
Prices (CPI-U) rose 22.7% over the same years, so it rose faster than prices: a measurable increase after inflation.
How many rentals in San Francisco cost more than $2,000 a month?
62.6% of rented homes in San Francisco have a gross rent of $2,000 or more a month, and 7.3% cost less than $500.
Is rent in San Francisco higher than in San Francisco County?
In San Francisco, median gross rent is not measurably different from San Francisco County ($2,476).
It is also higher than in California ($2,036).
It is higher than the national figure ($1,413).
Is this the rent for an apartment listed today?
No: these are rents households reported paying across 2020–2024, not asking rents for vacant homes, which usually run higher.
Sources
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — San Francisco city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — San Francisco city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — San Francisco city, California
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for San Francisco city, California (place:67000, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B25064_001E, B25064_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP04_0126E, DP04_0126M, DP04_0127PE, DP04_0127PM, DP04_0128PE, DP04_0128PM, DP04_0129PE, DP04_0129PM, DP04_0130PE, DP04_0130PM, DP04_0131PE, DP04_0131PM, DP04_0132PE, DP04_0132PM, DP04_0133PE, DP04_0133PM
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .
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