San Francisco is a city located in San Francisco County California. San Francisco has a 2024 population of 788,478. It is also the county seat of San Francisco County. San Francisco is currently declining at a rate of -2.54% annually and its population has decreased by -9.42% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 870,518 in 2020.
The average household income in San Francisco is $197,408 with a poverty rate of 10.48%. The median age in San Francisco is 39.3 years: 39 years for males, and 39.6 years for females.
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is located in Northern California and the San Francisco Bay. It's the state's only consolidated city-county, and it's the most densely populated large city in the state of California.
San Francisco is also the 4th most populous city in California (behind Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose).
San Francisco experienced its largest population boom from 1848 to 1849, when its population grew a massive 2,400% because of the California Gold Rush. Its population has grown very steadily since then, except for declines during the 1960s through the 1980s, and its population in 2016 is now 864,816. This population only represents the city proper, with a metropolitan area population of around 4.6 million.
San Francisco is also the hub of the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area, which has a population of 8.7 million.
San Francisco is the 13th most populous city in the country with a density of 6,266 people per square mile. It's the second most densely populated city in the country after New York City.
The Chinese population of San Francisco represents the single largest ethnic minority group with 21.4% of the population. Other major Asian groups include: Filipinos (4.5%), Vietnamese (1.6%), Japanese (1.3%), Asian Indians (1.2%), Koreans (1.2%), Thais (0.3%), Burmese (0.2%) and Cambodians (0.2%).
Those of Chinese ancestry are concentrated mostly in Chinatown, Sunset District, and Richmond District. Filipinos are concentrated heavily in Crocker-Amazon and SoMa, and the city has one of the largest Filipino communities outside of the Philippines.
San Francisco's age distribution shows that 13.4% of its population is under 18, 9.6% are 18 to 24, 37.5% are 25 to 44, 25.9% are 45 to 64 and 13.6% are 65 or older. The average age is 38.5 years, and San Francisco has a smaller percentage of children than any other major metropolitan area in the United States.
Interestingly, native-born Californians make up a relatively small percentage of San Francisco's population, as only 37.7% of its people were born in the state, while 25.2% were born in another state in the country. Over one-third of San Francisco's population were born outside the country.
Because San Francisco's non-Hispanic whites make up less than half of its total population, San Francisco is now a minority-majority city. The most common Hispanic groups include Mexicans (7.4%), Salvadoran (2.0%), Nicaraguan (0.9%) and Guatemalan (0.8%). The African American population of the city has dropped over the past few decades. In 1970, 13.4% of San Francisco's population was African American, although today that number is just 6.1%.
San Francisco is also home to the largest percentage of gay and lesbian people in the United States at 15.4%, as well as the highest percentage of same-sex households.
San Francisco is one of the 20 fastest growing cities in the United States. It's estimated that thousands of new residents will call San Francisco home by 2040, and the city Planning Director said that the city would need more than 92,000 more housing units and 191,000 new jobs to accommodate this growth. The Bay Area as a whole will need 1.1 million additional jobs and 660,000 new housing units to provide for an estimated 2.1 million more people who will move to the city by 2040.
The population of San Francisco is projected to reach 969,000 by 2035, which is nearly a 20% increase from today's population, and development is already underway to help the city grow. 80% of the city's growth is likely to occur in just 20% of the city, and the density of San Francisco will only go up.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of San Francisco was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 356,474 | 41.89% |
Asian | 296,122 | 34.8% |
Two or more races | 80,858 | 9.5% |
Other race | 65,487 | 7.69% |
Black or African American | 44,058 | 5.18% |
Native American | 4,725 | 0.56% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 3,312 | 0.39% |
White
Asian
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 360,842 | 2.29 | 38.6 | 61.4 |
Non Family | 191,157 | 1.49 | 24.1 | 75.9 |
Married | 129,039 | 3.14 | 57.9 | 42.1 |
Female | 27,515 | 3.49 | 44 | 56 |
Male | 13,131 | 3.19 | 47.8 | 52.2 |
3.07
Average Family Size
2.29
Average Household Size
38.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 29,521 | 4.34% |
Associates Degree | 35,794 | 5.26% |
Bachelors Degree | 238,669 | 35.08% |
Graduate Degree | 168,105 | 24.71% |
High School Graduate | 78,800 | 11.58% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 46,756 | 6.87% |
Some College | 82,698 | 12.16% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 277,933 | 272,737 | 216,612 |
Asian | 244,468 | 197,087 | 121,032 |
Hispanic | 93,063 | 74,589 | 36,776 |
2+ Races | 48,768 | 44,739 | 30,297 |
Other Race | 47,546 | 36,377 | 15,192 |
Black | 33,395 | 29,131 | 10,823 |
Native American | 3,289 | 2,334 | 707 |
Islander | 2,281 | 2,018 | 472 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 98.13%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 77.94%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $105,240 | $118,073 | $92,003 |
Graduate Degree | $135,922 | $160,904 | $114,896 |
High School Graduate | $38,591 | $41,926 | $33,866 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $30,316 | $33,370 | $27,503 |
Overall | $85,302 | $94,088 | $77,182 |
Some College | $51,593 | $56,207 | $45,994 |
$85,302
Average Earnings
$94,088
Average Male
$77,182
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
57.09% of San Francisco residents speak only English, while 42.91% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 24.73% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Asian | 292,560 | 30,548 | 10.44% |
White | 321,838 | 23,588 | 7.33% |
Hispanic | 128,194 | 17,037 | 13.29% |
Black | 42,593 | 10,860 | 25.5% |
Other | 63,835 | 10,160 | 15.92% |
Multiple | 79,147 | 7,664 | 9.68% |
Native | 4,647 | 1,473 | 31.7% |
Islander | 3,301 | 333 | 10.09% |
10.48%
Overall Poverty Rate
9.99%
Male Poverty Rate
11.01%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in San Francisco is Native, with 31.7% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in San Francisco is White, with 7.33% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.21%. Among those working part-time, it was 12.5%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.57%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 23.37% |
High School | 17.64% |
Some College | 12.96% |
Bachelors or Greater | 5.01% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Male Unemployed | 29.49% |
Female Unemployed | 24.93% |
Female Employed | 4.25% |
Male Employed | 3.27% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $159,981 | $232,466 |
Households | $136,689 | $197,408 |
Married Families | $194,067 | $268,210 |
Non Families | $109,488 | $160,597 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
40.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
40.4%
Male Marriage Rate
40.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
20,019
Number of Veterans
17,972
Male Veterans
2,047
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 6,697 |
Second Gulf War | 4,121 |
First Gulf War | 3,095 |
Korea | 1,849 |
World War II | 481 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
75+ | 6,567 |
35 to 54 | 4,465 |
65 to 74 | 4,321 |
55 to 64 | 3,045 |
18 to 34 | 1,621 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 11,011 | 3.45% |
Asian | 3,989 | 1.51% |
Black | 2,648 | 7.12% |
Hispanic | 2,267 | 2.17% |
2+ Races | 1,548 | 2.81% |
Other Race | 696 | 1.31% |
Native American | 68 | 1.79% |
Islander | 59 | 2.19% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
12.8%
Veteran Poverty Rate
32.29%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
70.4%
Labor Force Participation
66.6%
Employment Rate
5.4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
40.36%
Born in San Francisco
66.14%
Native Born
33.86%
Foreign Born
12.6%
Non Citizen
21.26%
Naturalized
66.14% of San Francisco residents were born in the United States, with 40.36% having been born in California. 12.6% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 685,928 | -20,510 | -2.9% |
2028 | 706,438 | -20,510 | -2.82% |
2027 | 726,948 | -20,510 | -2.74% |
2026 | 747,458 | -20,510 | -2.67% |
2025 | 767,968 | -20,510 | -2.6% |
2024 | 788,478 | -20,510 | -2.54% |
2023 | 808,988 | 1,214 | 0.15% |
2022 | 807,774 | -4,161 | -0.51% |
2021 | 811,935 | -58,583 | -6.73% |
2020 | 870,518 | -8,308 | -0.95% |
2019 | 878,826 | -850 | -0.1% |
2018 | 879,676 | 2,205 | 0.25% |
2017 | 877,471 | 6,128 | 0.7% |
2016 | 871,343 | 8,106 | 0.94% |
2015 | 863,237 | 12,319 | 1.45% |
2014 | 850,918 | 11,223 | 1.34% |
2013 | 839,695 | 10,732 | 1.29% |
2012 | 828,963 | 13,269 | 1.63% |
2011 | 815,694 | 10,175 | 1.26% |
2010 | 805,519 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 776,733 | 52,774 | 7.29% |
1990 | 723,959 | 44,985 | 6.63% |
1980 | 678,974 | -36,700 | -5.13% |
1970 | 715,674 | -24,642 | -3.33% |
1960 | 740,316 | -35,041 | -4.52% |
1950 | 775,357 | 140,821 | 22.19% |
1940 | 634,536 | 142 | 0.02% |
1930 | 634,394 | 127,718 | 25.21% |
1920 | 506,676 | 89,764 | 21.53% |
1910 | 416,912 | 74,130 | 21.63% |
1900 | 342,782 | 43,785 | 14.64% |
1890 | 298,997 | 65,038 | 27.8% |
1880 | 233,959 | 84,486 | 56.52% |
1870 | 149,473 | 92,671 | 163.15% |
1860 | 56,802 | 26,802 | 89.34% |
1850 | 30,000 | -655,928 | -95.63% |