San Francisco County, California Demographics 2026

Population Overview

San Francisco County is located in California with a total population of 830,235. It is the 13th most populous county out of 58 in California. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in San Francisco County is 40.0 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. Only 13.7% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in San Francisco County is $140,970. This is 42% higher than the state median of $99,122. It is also 75% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.2%. This is 7% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 6.1%. This is 8% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $1,394,500. Housing costs are 90% higher than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 9.9x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 38.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 32% lower than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

San Francisco County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 34.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (16.2%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (34.9% vs 15.3%).

Education

60.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places San Francisco County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 63% higher than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.0%. Notably, 25.4% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for San Francisco County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against California and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.