California · 13th largest metro area

Buying a home in San Francisco, California

In San Francisco, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $1,394,500, San Francisco County's effective property tax rate is 0.71%, and a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,692 in total loan costs in 2025.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

San Francisco home costs, fact by fact

About San Francisco

Census estimates show 38.2% of homes are owner-occupied, and median gross rent is $2,476 per month. The city belongs to the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area.

Reading the San Francisco figures

San Francisco's $1,394,500 median value is well above the California figure of $770,700, but it is not the top of the covered cities. Sunnyvale leads at $1,801,800. San Mateo follows at $1,618,700, then Santa Clara at $1,582,600. Berkeley reads $1,413,900 and Fremont $1,403,800, so both are also higher. Carlsbad, San Jose and Irvine are lower, at $1,257,000, $1,233,200 and $1,191,500. Rent is $2,476 a month. On rent, Sunnyvale asks $3,039, San Mateo $3,077, Santa Clara $3,016: all three cost more. Berkeley, with $2,133, and Los Angeles, with $1,933, cost less. Owners are 38.2% of households, near Los Angeles with 36% and Santa Clara with 40.8%, and under Fremont with 60.8% and San Jose with 55.8%.

Neighborhoods stretch the range. West of Twin Peaks hits $1,807,000 and $3,360 in rent with 80.2% owners. Inner Sunset reads $1,719,000, Outer Richmond $1,582,000, Sunset/Parkside $1,492,000. At the bottom, Tenderloin shows $617,000 and 3.2% owners, and South of Market $939,000 with 20.2%. Bayview Hunters Point values homes at $1,048,000 while its rent is $1,410. Excelsior reads $1,182,000. Mission reads $1,341,000, and Financial District/South Beach $1,349,000.

The oldest housing sits in the west. Sunset/Parkside has 94.6% built before 1980 and Inner Sunset 91.8%, whereas South of Market, at 28.8% with a median year of 2003, is newer. Financial District/South Beach is newer still on paper, with 21.9% built before 1980 and a median year of 2002. Mission and Outer Richmond lean old, with 74.3% and 86%.

The sector table shows why one city median hides so much. The same city holds both the $617,000 of Tenderloin and the $1,807,000 of West of Twin Peaks, so a buyer should choose a neighborhood first and read the county figures second. County costs come last. San Francisco County's 0.71% effective rate on a $1,394,500 median value gives a $9,862 median bill. HUD's benchmarks for the area run $3,697 to $4,832, by home size. Borrowing stayed tight in 2025: 3,345 loans, median $7,692, middle range $6,495 to $9,846.

Calculate for California

If you buy

California state transfer tax

California has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one.

Price$770,700
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the California median value of owner-occupied homes, $770,700 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: No state tax. The tax is set by county and city, so it cannot be computed from the state alone. Who pays: Neither the state statute nor the City of Los Angeles FAQ assigns the tax; the purchase contract and escrow instructions decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. California transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: California state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Sectors of San Francisco

San Francisco is divided into the ten most populous of 41 Analysis Neighborhoods, one open spot per trade in each.

Source: DataSF, Analysis Neighborhoods (City and County of San Francisco). Population per area is a Payotte estimate: the sum of Census ACS 2020-2024 populations (table B01003) of the 2020 census tracts whose internal point lies inside each official boundary.

Questions about buying a home in San Francisco

How much is property tax in San Francisco?

Homeowners in San Francisco County pay a median $9,862 a year in property tax, 0.71% of the county median home value of $1,394,500 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in San Francisco?

Home-purchase mortgages in San Francisco County carried median total loan costs of $7,692 in 2025; half of the 3,345 loans fell between $6,495 and $9,846 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in San Francisco?

California has no state transfer tax. Counties may charge $0.55 per $500 of value under the Documentary Transfer Tax Act, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own, with Measure ULA adding 4% or 5.5% on very high-priced sales.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in San Francisco?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in San Francisco ($1,394,500) equals 46.9 years of the median gross rent ($2,476 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in San Francisco?

Across California, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is California FAIR Plan. A standard California homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage; insurers must offer earthquake coverage (Insurance Code 10081), and the FAIR Plan sells limited fire coverage up to $3 million for residential policyholders.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

California rules that apply in San Francisco

Other large cities in California

Who licenses each trade in California · All covered cities

Sources

California · All states · Federal guides