Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Overall, South San Francisco earns a B−: better than nearly half of U.S. towns, and 204th of 841 in California. Its weakest subject is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $1.2 million, 8.9 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Incomes are its strong suit: the median household earns $137K. It is strong on walkability as well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. The city has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Golden Gate National Cemetery and South San Francisco Hillside Sign. South San Francisco’s midpoint rent is $2,802 a month, against $1,895 a month in California’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
Where South San Francisco beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where South San Francisco’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far South San Francisco is from typical.
Its grades run from A for jobs and income (better than 94% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 3%), so the B− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,989 in 1910, 66,105 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2022 and 8 maps from 1896 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around South San Francisco. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
in town Park & preserveOyster Point Marina/Park
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw9 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw10 mi LandmarkLombard StreetAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Oyster Point Marina/Park: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 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 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in South San Francisco, 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 South San Francisco.
South San Francisco draws workers from San Francisco and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 3.6%. On the market in South San Francisco: a median 16 days to sell. South San Francisco: 59% of households own their home.
| South San Francisco | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,802 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 52% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The public schools here belong to the South San Francisco Unified school district. Three of its 17 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. 5 public schools serve South San Francisco, with 1,971 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Loma MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 652 | B− |
| South San Francisco HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,239 | A− |
| Westborough MiddleTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 498 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
55,408 jobs are based in South San Francisco, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most people who work leave South San Francisco to do it: just 12% work in town. Jobs in South San Francisco grew by 10,426 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 55,408. In South San Francisco, 17% of workers do their job from home. Half commute less than 9 miles.
| South San Francisco | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $137,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
76 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 11 properties have flooded more than once.
FEMA puts three quarters of South San Francisco’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 24% to inland flooding. Since 1982, South San Francisco has seen 76 flood insurance claims paid out. Federal aid has come to South San Francisco households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2022.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 3,882 U.S. towns with household incomes like South San Francisco’s, it is less healthy than 57%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
For adults in South San Francisco, the share who feel lonely is 37%. 17% of adults locally have been diagnosed with depression; 14% report frequent mental distress.
| South San Francisco | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | South San Francisco | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.8% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.5% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 1,619 to 979 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 50% of towns. The violent crime rate for South San Francisco comes to 3.1 per 1,000 residents.
| South San Francisco | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.1 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 44.8°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 69°.
For South San Francisco, the peak summer temperature is 69°F. Snow almost never falls.
| South San Francisco | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 69°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 45°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among residents in South San Francisco, 19% are 65 or older. Adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (39% statewide); children under 18 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). The midpoint age in the town is 43.2 years.
| South San Francisco | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 43.2 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 16% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 44.3, men 42.4.
| South San Francisco | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.6% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.4% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.9% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.5% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.2% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.6% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
South San Francisco’s density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile. Trails run 4.7 miles in 18 parks and preserves. Also worth knowing: the biggest park or preserve is Sign Hill Park, at 44 acres.
| South San Francisco | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sign Hill Park | 0.9 mi | 44 |
| 2. Westborough Park | 0.8 mi | 9 |
| 3. Orange Memorial Park | 0.5 mi | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
25 within 15 miles of the center of South San Francisco
About 7 of every 100 South San Francisco residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
3 places in South San Francisco on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in California, United States
South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is colloquially termed "South City". The population was 66,105 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 64,941 in 2025.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with South San Francisco.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South San Francisco | #204 | B− | D− | C | B+ | A− |
| San Bruno | #162 | B | D | C | A− | A |
| Daly City | #254 | C+ | D− | C | B | A− |
| Colma | — | — | D | D− | B | B+ |
| Pacifica | #96 | B+ | D− | B− | A− | A |
| Brisbane | #180 | B− | D− | C+ | B+ | A |
| Oakland | #604 | D | D | D− | C | B+ |
Colma has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare South San Francisco with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
South San Francisco grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #204 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 50% of towns.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Walt Harris and James H. Coleman.
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