Living in San Francisco

Forty-seven square miles of hills, fog and distinct neighborhoods at the tip of the Peninsula. San Francisco is where many Peninsula buyers start their search, and where many still work. Compare commute times or talk with Joseph.

873,965residents, 2020 census
1850year incorporated
46.9square miles of land
$2.02Mmedian house price, last 12 months

A Short History

  • Mission San Francisco de Asís and the Presidio were both founded in 1776.
  • The town of Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco in 1847, and the Gold Rush of 1849 turned it into a boomtown.
  • San Francisco incorporated on April 15, 1850.
  • The 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed much of the city. It rebuilt in time to host the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  • The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937.

Schools, Parks and Getting Around

Public Schools

San Francisco Unified School DistrictOne public district serves the whole city, from elementary through high school.
School assignmentSFUSD places students through an application and choice process, not only by home address.
School District GuideSee my San Francisco school district guide for how enrollment works.

Always confirm enrollment rules directly with SFUSD.

Parks and Places

Golden Gate ParkMore than 1,000 acres running from the Haight to Ocean Beach, with museums, gardens and lakes.
The PresidioA former Army post that is now a national park site at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Ocean Beach and Lands EndThe city's Pacific shoreline, with trails along the cliffs.
Mission Dolores ParkA sunny hillside park between the Mission and the Castro.

Getting Around

Muni buses, light rail and cable cars cover the city. BART runs to the East Bay, SFO and the Peninsula, and Caltrain leaves from 4th and King for the Peninsula and Silicon Valley. See commute times to each job center.

San Francisco Neighborhoods by District

The MLS groups San Francisco into 10 districts and about 90 neighborhoods. The map shows every neighborhood, colored by district. Each card shows the median sold price for houses and condos over the last 12 months, November 2025 to October 2026.

Tap a neighborhood for its name, district and prices, with a link to that district guide. Borders are traced from the MLSListings area map and are approximate.

District 1: NorthwestCentral Richmond, Inner Richmond, Jordan Park / Laurel Heights, Lake Street, Outer Richmond, Sea Cliff, Lone Mountain
Houses
$2.6M 222 sold
Condos
$1.7M 104 sold
See the District 1 guide and map
District 2: Central WestGolden Gate Heights, Outer Parkside, Outer Sunset, Parkside, Central Sunset, Inner Sunset, Inner Parkside
Houses
$1.93M 431 sold
Condos
$1.33M 34 sold
See the District 2 guide and map
District 3: SouthwestLake Shore, Merced Heights, Pine Lake Park, Stonestown, Lakeside, Merced Manor, Ingleside Heights, Ingleside, Oceanview
Houses
$1.52M 149 sold
Condos
$685K 23 sold
See the District 3 guide and map
District 4: Twin Peaks WestBalboa Terrace, Diamond Heights, Forest Hill, Forest Knolls, Ingleside Terrace, Midtown Terrace, St. Francis Wood, Miraloma Park, Forest Hill Extension, Sherwood Forest, Monterey Heights, Mount Davidson Manor, Westwood Highlands, Westwood Park, Sunnyside, West Portal
Houses
$2.36M 308 sold
Condos
$660K 41 sold
See the District 4 guide and map
District 5: CentralGlen Park, Haight Ashbury, Noe Valley, Twin Peaks, Cole Valley / Parnassus Heights, Buena Vista / Ashbury Heights, Corona Heights, Clarendon Heights, Duboce Triangle, Eureka Valley / Dolores Heights, Mission Dolores
Houses
$3.35M 317 sold
Condos
$1.6M 323 sold
See the District 5 guide and map
District 6: Central NorthAnza Vista, Hayes Valley, Lower Pacific Heights, Western Addition, Alamo Square, North Panhandle
Houses
$4.01M 36 sold
Condos
$1.4M 223 sold
See the District 6 guide and map
District 7: NorthMarina, Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, Cow Hollow
Houses
$7.6M 131 sold
Condos
$1.81M 300 sold
See the District 7 guide and map
District 8: NortheastDowntown, Financial District / Barbary Coast, Nob Hill, North Beach, Russian Hill, Van Ness / Civic Center, Telegraph Hill, North Waterfront, Tenderloin
Houses
$4.28M 38 sold
Condos
$1.19M 365 sold
See the District 8 guide and map
District 9: Central EastBernal Heights, Inner Mission, Mission Bay, Potrero Hill, South of Market, Yerba Buena, South Beach, Central Waterfront / Dogpatch
Houses
$1.99M 234 sold
Condos
$1.09M 869 sold
See the District 9 guide and map
District 10: SoutheastBayview, Crocker Amazon, Excelsior, Outer Mission, Visitacion Valley, Portola, Silver Terrace, Mission Terrace, Hunters Point, Bayview Heights, Candlestick Point, Little Hollywood
Houses
$1.19M 386 sold
Condos
$710K 49 sold
See the District 10 guide and map

Source: MLSListings closed sales by MLS district, pulled November 13, 2026. Bars are scaled to the highest district median.

San Francisco Market Report

Home sales for San Francisco pulled directly from MLSListings, the Bay Area's MLS. Figures cover full calendar months.

Last month, single family homes

October 2026

254single family homes sold
$2.38Mmedian sold price
$1,353median price per square foot
$555K to $28.5Msold price range
12 daysmedian days on market

Last 3 months by home type

August to October 2026

San Francisco home sales by home type, August to October 2026
Home type Homes sold Median price Median price per sq ft
Single family homes 602 $2.13M $1,236
Condominiums 657 $1.32M $1,171
Townhouses 12 $1.4M $750

Last 12 months, single family homes

November 2025 to October 2026

2362single family homes sold
$2.02Mmedian sold price
$1,166median price per square foot
$360K to $28.5Msold price range
12 daysmedian days on market

Last 12 months, condominiums

November 2025 to October 2026

2,507condominiums sold
$1.27Mmedian sold price
$1,114median price per square foot
15 daysmedian days on market

How San Francisco compares

Median single family sale price, November 2025 to October 2026

San Francisco
$2.02M
Daly City
$1.25M
San Bruno
$1.5M
Burlingame
$3.21M

Source: MLSListings closed sales with a San Francisco postal city, by close of escrow date, pulled November 13, 2026. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Ask me for a full report on your street or price range.

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San Francisco FAQ

What does the San Francisco market look like right now?

See the market report above for single family home sales in San Francisco over the last month, the last 3 months and the last 12 months, pulled directly from MLSListings. Every street prices differently, so ask Joseph for numbers on your area or price range.

How do I get from San Francisco to the Peninsula?

Caltrain runs from 4th and King down the Peninsula, BART runs to Millbrae and SFO, and Highways 101 and 280 head south. Use the commute chart on my relocation guide to compare times, or read Moving from San Francisco to the Peninsula.

What is my San Francisco home worth?

Request a free home valuation and Joseph will send a local estimate based on recent nearby sales. Request a free home valuation

How can I hear about San Francisco homes before they hit the market?

Join Joseph's off-market list. You'll hear about coming-soon and off-market homes that match what you want before they're listed publicly. Join the off-market list

Sources

Please confirm anything important for a specific address.

  1. MLSListingsClosed sales with a San Francisco postal city, November 2025 to October 2026, pulled November 13, 2026
  2. San Francisco, California (Wikipedia)History, schools, parks and transit
  3. U.S. Census Bureau2020 census population and land area

San Francisco Market Trends

Sold Number

Market Trends are calculated using MLS® sold listing data