What is the rental vacancy rate in San Francisco, CA?

Name: Vacancy rate in San Francisco, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in San Francisco, CA is 6.7% (±0.5 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 1.0% (±0.2 points).

50,632 (±2,063) homes, 12.2% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In San Francisco, the rental vacancy rate went from 2.9% in 2015–2019 to 6.7% in 2020–2024 (+3.8 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 6.7% (±0.5 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 1.0% (±0.2 points)
Vacant homes: 50,632 (±2,063)

Vacancy in San Francisco against San Francisco County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	San Francisco	San Francisco County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	6.7% (±0.5 points)	6.7% (±0.5 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.0% (±0.2 points)	1.0% (±0.2 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	50,632 (±2,063)	50,632 (±2,063)	1,096,644 (±18,928)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In San Francisco, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from San Francisco County (6.7%).

It is also higher than in California (4.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near San Francisco

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Francisco
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
San Francisco	—	6.7% (±0.5 points)	—
Bolinas	22 mi	15.5% (±21.8 points)	Not measurably different
Inverness	26 mi	0.0% (±19.4 points)	Not measurably different
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls	27 mi	12.3% (±19.3 points)	Not measurably different
Woodacre	29 mi	0.0% (±52.3 points)	Not measurably different
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley	29 mi	9.2% (±7.8 points)	Not measurably different
Mill Valley	30 mi	3.3% (±5.6 points)	Not measurably different
Kentfield	30 mi	4.5% (±7.0 points)	Not measurably different
Fairfax	30 mi	4.4% (±6.3 points)	Not measurably different

None of the nearby places differs measurably from this one on this figure.

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

Is it hard to find a rental in San Francisco?

The rental vacancy rate in San Francisco, CA is 6.7% (±0.5 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in San Francisco tighter than it was?

In San Francisco, the rental vacancy rate went from 2.9% in 2015–2019 to 6.7% in 2020–2024 (+3.8 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How many homes are vacant in San Francisco?

An estimated 50,632 (±2,063) housing units, 12.2% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

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 DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

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.