Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 36,890, incorporated in 1957.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Pacifica grades B+ overall, ranked 96th of 841 in California. It has 42 miles of trail and 43% conserved land. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 92% of the country and the median household earns $161K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $1.3 million for a typical one and 9.2 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Pacifica’s median rent is $3,098 a month, where California’s towns sit at $1,895 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Pacifica has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them San Francisco Bay Discovery Site and Sanchez Adobe Park.
Where Pacifica beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
42.7% of the town is conserved land, across 17 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Pacifica is from typical.
Its grades run from A for health (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the B+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
San Francisco Bay Discovery Site is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 20,995 in 1960, 38,640 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pacifica. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw15 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw13 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw14 mi LandmarkLombard StreetAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pacifica, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Pacifica.
Pacifica fares better on crime within California than nationally, keeps more of its land conserved than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
Its 3,421 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 97% of California towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #15 of 847 in California.
42 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. Pacifica’s trail density is 3.4 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is San Francisco Peninsula Watershed, 415 acres with 2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mori Point (GGNRA) | 3.5 mi | 124 |
| 2. San Francisco Peninsula Watershed | 2 mi | 415 |
| 3. Sharp Park | 1.8 mi | 221 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Pacifica school district. Three of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrillo ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 524 | B+ |
| Terra Nova HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 740 | A+ |
| Oceana HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 471 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $1.25M, is 9% below its May 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $7,933, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Pacifica home is worth about $1,254,000, up 2.4% in a year, 65% above the California typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 5.4% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 2,145 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pacifica’s, it is healthier than 55%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
28% of Pacifica adults sleep under 7 hours. Pacifica beats the California average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 24% of Pacifica adults have obesity.
| Pacifica | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Pacifica | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.4% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.1% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 7.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Since 1982, 76 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pacifica.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Pacifica has 4,657 jobs for its 17,376 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Pacifica for work: only 8% work in town. 24% of workers work from home in Pacifica. Since 2013, Pacifica has added 706 jobs, to 4,657 in 2023.
| Pacifica | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $161,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 24% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 45.1°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 67.5°.
The July high in Pacifica is 68°F. Pacifica has warm winters and cool summers. The January low in Pacifica is 45°F.
| Pacifica | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 68°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 45°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 18 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 81% of California’s graded towns. Its B− tops all 3 graded towns on its borders; Daly City (C) comes closest.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
15 within 15 miles of the center of Pacifica
About 6 of every 100 Pacifica residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Pacifica’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Pacifica on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Pacifica.
City in San Mateo County, California, US
Pacifica (Spanish: Pacífica, meaning "Peaceful") is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay. As of the 2020 census, Pacifica had a population of 38,640.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Pacifica.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; San Bruno (B) comes closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacifica | #96 | B+ | D− | B− | A− | A |
| Daly City | #254 | C+ | D− | C | B | A− |
| San Bruno | #162 | B | D | C | A− | A |
| South San Francisco | #204 | B− | D− | C | B+ | A− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Pacifica grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #96 of 841 in California. It grades A for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
Pacifica was incorporated in 1957 and has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 6 notable people were born here, including Kevin Gogan and Alexis Mercedes Rinck.
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