Median Income
$127,062
household / year
Median Home Value
$1,113,000
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,649
gross / month
Cost of Living
118
national avg = 100

Is South San Francisco, CA a Good Place to Live?

South San Francisco is a mid-sized city of 65,596 in California, with a median household income of $127,062 and a 2.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 118 (US average = 100), which is 18% above the national average.

Strengths: South San Francisco stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B), a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether South San Francisco is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All South San Francisco city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 118.2

South San Francisco's overall cost of living index is 118.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in South San Francisco costs roughly 18% more than the average American city.

Metric South San Francisco, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $1,113,000 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,649 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 61.6% 65.9%
Median Household Income $127,062 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

South San Francisco's violent crime rate is 300.5 per 100,000 residents — 21% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
300.5 /100k
Property Crime
1558.8 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

South San Francisco is served primarily by South San Francisco Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.9:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric South San Francisco, CA National Avg
School District South San Francisco Unified —
Elementary Schools 10 —
Middle Schools 3 —
High Schools 4 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 18.9:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 39.4% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 88.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

South San Francisco sees average highs of 58.0°F in January and 72.6°F in July, with 19.6 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricSouth San Francisco, CA
Average High — January58.0°F
Average High — July72.6°F
Annual Precipitation19.6"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricSouth San Francisco, CANational Avg
Population65,596—
Median Age42.338.9
Unemployment Rate2.4%3.7%
Avg Commute Time27.9 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)29.1%59.3%
Black or African American1.9%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino20.7%18.9%
Asian43.4%6.3%
Under 1817.1%22.2%
65 and over17.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Brisbane, CA 1 mi San Bruno, CA 4 mi Millbrae, CA 4 mi Colma, CA 4 mi Burlingame, CA 5 mi

ZIP Codes in South San Francisco

South San Francisco, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes:

94080 94128

South San Francisco vs Other Cities

South San Francisco, CA vs Brisbane, CA South San Francisco, CA vs San Bruno, CA South San Francisco, CA vs Millbrae, CA South San Francisco, CA vs Colma, CA South San Francisco, CA vs Burlingame, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

South San Francisco's cost of living index is 118, where 100 is the national average. That puts South San Francisco roughly 18% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $1,113,000 and median rent is $2,649/month.
South San Francisco's violent crime rate is 300.5 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1558.8 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in South San Francisco are operated by South San Francisco Unified. The district has 10 elementary, 3 middle, and 4 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.9:1. 39.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
South San Francisco, CA has a population of 65,596, a median household income of $127,062, and an unemployment rate of 2.4%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
South San Francisco averages 58.0°F in January and 72.6°F in July. Annual rainfall is 19.6 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
South San Francisco, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: 94080, 94128.
The population of South San Francisco, California is 65,596 with a median age of 42.3. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in South San Francisco: cost of living index 118 (100 = US average), median home $1,113,000, median household income $127,062, crime index 77 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare South San Francisco side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.