Photo: Dicklyon · CC BY-SA 4.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Pacifica costs more to live in than 96% of U.S. towns
It ranks #579 of 846 in California for affordability. Up 2.4% in a year, 65% above the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area ($136K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Pacifica’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($136K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 24% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 51% of renters.
In dollars
- $1.3Mtypical home, 65% above the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $4,090a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 9.2 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$136K, San Francisco-area income
- 27%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 51%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 24%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Pacifica
Homes haven’t kept up with new residents
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Pacifica gained 1,406 residents while 65 new homes were permitted: about 21.6 new residents per new home, against 2.7 across California. New homes ↓
About half of homes sell above asking
In September, 54% of the homes that sold went for more than the asking price and 41% went under contract within two weeks. There were about 1.7 months of homes for sale at that pace, against 3.6 across California: 53 listings for 31 sales that month. Expect competition on well-priced homes. How fast homes sell ↓
Prices are 9% below their 2022 peak
The typical Pacifica home peaked at $1.37M in May 2022 and is worth about $1.25M now. Across California, values are only slightly off their high. Over five years, Pacifica is still up 1.8%. Price trend ↓
Very little new building
Pacifica permitted 123 new homes over the past 10 years, about 0.3 a year per 1,000 residents. Across California, the pace in 2025 was 2.7. In 2025, Pacifica permitted 8. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Pacifica’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Pacifica is more affordable than 4% of U.S. towns, #579 of 846 in California. Home prices pull the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have lagged California: the typical Pacifica home is up 1.8% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 1.8% in five years
Slower than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Pacifica | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $876,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $987,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $1,061,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $1,072,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $1,140,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $1,262,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $1,227,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $1,223,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $1,267,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $1,231,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $1,254,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Pacifica home worth $855K in October 2016 is worth about $1.25M today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, September 2026.
A typical home costs 9.2 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Pacifica’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $704K short of a typical Pacifica home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $4,090 a month here, $3,150 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Pacifica’s typical property tax (0.63% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $4,090
Renters already here pay a median of $3,098, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
8 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 8 new homes in Pacifica in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $3 million to build. That's 0.2 per 1,000 residents, slower than across California (2.7). Over the past 10 years, Pacifica has permitted 123 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Pacifica gained 1,406 residents while 65 new homes were permitted: about 22 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across California: 2.7 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 8 | 8 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2025 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $4.7 million |
| 2023 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| 2022 | 17 | 12 | 5 | $4.1 million |
| 2021 | 42 | 34 | 8 | $11.7 million |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $600,000 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2018 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $6.8 million |
| 2017 | 5 | 3 | 2 | $2.2 million |
| 2016 | 13 | 8 | 5 | $5 million |
| 2015 | 8 | 4 | 4 | $2.9 million |
| 2014 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2013 | 6 | 4 | 2 | $2.7 million |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2011 | 4 | 2 | 2 | $1.7 million |
| 2010 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2009 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $4.2 million |
| 2008 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $7.1 million |
| 2007 | 101 | 101 | 0 | $42.2 million |
| 2006 | 7 | 4 | 3 | $2 million |
| 2005 | 11 | 9 | 2 | $4.5 million |
| 2004 | 21 | 9 | 12 | $5.5 million |
| 2003 | 11 | 7 | 4 | $2.6 million |
| 2002 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2001 | 33 | 31 | 2 | $8.7 million |
| 2000 | 38 | 36 | 2 | $9.7 million |
Pacifica's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
High tax bills, but a low tax rate
The median bill is $7,933 (California: $5,124), because homes cost more. As a share of value it’s 0.63% a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Pacifica vs. its neighbors
Of the 4 towns here with a Zillow value, Pacifica has the 3rd-lowest.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacifica | D− | $1.3M | $1.2M | 0.63% | $4,090 |
| Daly City | D− | $1.1M | $1.1M | 0.58% | $3,480 |
| San Bruno | D | $1.3M | $1.2M | 0.51% | $3,530 |
| South San Francisco | D− | $1.2M | $1.2M | 0.61% | $3,540 |
Questions about the cost of living in Pacifica
Is Pacifica expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Pacifica costs more than 96% of U.S. towns: a D− for cost of living, #579 of 846 in California. The typical home costs 9.2 years of the median household income of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area ($136K).
How much does a house cost in Pacifica?
About $1.3M, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.4% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Pacifica?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $310,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $7,240 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $164,000.
How much is rent in Pacifica?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $4,090 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $3,098 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Pacifica?
The median bill is $7,933 a year, 0.63% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Pacifica going up?
Yes: up 2.4% in the past year and 1.8% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Pacifica buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.