Demographics of San Francisco

See also: Population Graph

The 2020 United States Census reported that San Francisco had a population of 873,965—an increase from the 2010 Census^[6] count of 805,235. The 2022 Census Bureau American Community Survey put the population at 808,437: a decrease of 65,528 from 2020. With a population density of 18,633 per square mile (7,194/km²), San Francisco is the second-most densely populated major American city, behind only New York (among cities greater than 200,000 population).^[7]

Demographics of San Francisco
Population pyramid of San Francisco in 2021
Population	815,201 (2021 American Community Survey)

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1848	1,000	—
1849	25,000	+2400.0%
1852	34,776	+39.1%
1860	56,802	+63.3%
1870	149,473	+163.1%
1880	233,959	+56.5%
1890	298,997	+27.8%
1900	342,782	+14.6%
1910	416,912	+21.6%
1920	506,676	+21.5%
1930	634,394	+25.2%
1940	634,536	+0.0%
1950	775,357	+22.2%
1960	740,316	−4.5%
1970	715,674	−3.3%
1980	678,974	−5.1%
1990	723,959	+6.6%
2000	776,733	+7.3%
2010	805,235	+3.7%
2020	873,965	+8.5%
2022	808,437	−7.5%
Sources:[1][2][3][4] Source: U.S. Decennial Census[5]

San Francisco is the traditional focal point of the San Francisco Bay Area and forms part of the five-county San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 4.6 million people. It is also part of the greater 12-county San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area, whose population is over 8.75 million, making it the fifth-largest in the United States as of July 1, 2016.^[8]

Race and ethnicity

See also: History of San Francisco

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup and population of San Francisco included: Whites (44.9%), Asians (34.3%), African Americans (5.1%), Native Americans (0.4%), Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (0.4%) two or more races (7.2%). The ethnic makeup of San Francisco is 15.2% Hispanics or Latinos of any race (15.2%), 84.98% Non-Hispanic.

According to the 2020 census, San Francisco has a minority-majority population, as non-Hispanic European Americans comprise less than half of the population at 39.8%, down from 92.5% in 1940.^[9] The principal Hispanic groups in the city were those of Mexican, Salvadoran, Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, and Puerto Rican ancestry. The Hispanic population is most heavily concentrated in the Mission District, Tenderloin District, and Excelsior District.^[10] San Francisco's African American population has declined in recent decades,^[9] from 13.4% of the population in 1970 to 6.1% in 2010.^[11] The current percentage of African Americans in San Francisco is similar to that of the state of California;^[11] conversely, the city's percentage of Hispanic residents is less than half of that of the state. The majority of the city's black population reside within the neighborhoods of Bayview-Hunters Point, and Visitacion Valley in southeastern San Francisco, and in the Fillmore District in the northeastern part of the city.^[10]

In 2010, residents of Chinese ethnicity constituted the largest single ethnic minority group in San Francisco at 21.4% of the population; the other Asian groups are Filipinos (4.5%), Vietnamese (1.6%), Japanese (1.3%), Asian Indians (1.2%), Koreans (1.2%), Thais (0.3%), Burmese (0.2%), Cambodians (0.2%), and Indonesians, Laotians, and Mongolians make up less than 0.1% of the city's population.^[12] The population of Chinese ancestry is most heavily concentrated in Chinatown, Sunset District, and Richmond District, whereas Filipinos are most concentrated in the Crocker-Amazon (which is contiguous with the Filipino community of Daly City, which has one of the highest concentrations of Filipinos in North America), as well as in SoMa.

After declining in the 1970s and 1980s, the Filipino community in the city has experienced a significant resurgence. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to over 382,950 Filipino Americans, one of the largest communities of Filipinos outside of the Philippines.^[12][13] The Tenderloin District is home to a large portion of the city's Vietnamese population as well as businesses and restaurants, which is known as the city's Little Saigon. Koreans and Japanese have a large presence in the Western Addition, which is where the city's Japantown is located. The Pacific Islander population is 0.4% (0.8% including those with partial ancestry). Over half of the Pacific Islander population is of Samoan descent, with residence in the Bayview-Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley areas; Pacific Islanders make up more than three percent of the population in both communities.^[12]

Native-born Californians form a relatively small percentage of the city's population: only 37.7% of its residents were born in California, while 25.2% were born in a different U.S. state. More than a third of San Francisco residents (34.2%) were born outside the United States.^[11]

Historical estimates

Demographic profile[14] 1860 1870 1880 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020[15] Non-Hispanic White alone 90.2% 89.0% 87.7% 92.5% 93.8% 93.5% 91.0% 91.1% 83.2% 72.7% 60.7% 52.8% 46.9% 43.5% 41.7% 39.1% — Middle Eastern/Central Asian American[lower-alpha 1] — — <0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.5% (0.8%)[lower-alpha 2] (1.0%) (1.2%) (1.2%) 1.2% 1.5% 1.4% 1.4% 1.9% — Hispanic American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 3] — — — — — <0.1% <0.1% (0.2%) (0.4%) (0.6%) (0.8%) 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.9% 0.3% — Eastern European American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 4] — — 1.7% 1.9% 2.9% 4.8% 5.5% (7.1%) (7.9%) (8.1%) (7.8%) 7.7% 8.1% 7.7% 8.3% 6.5% — Portuguese or Brazilian American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 5] — — 0.3% 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 0.5% (0.6%) (0.6%) (0.6%) (0.5%) 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% — Italian American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 6] — — 1.8% 4.5% 7.2% 9.2% 9.3% (9.3%) (8.5%) (7.4%) (6.2%) 5.4% 5.0% 4.0% 3.8% 3.5% — Other European American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 7] — — 83.8% 85.6% 82.8% 77.% 74.2% (73.1%) (64.8%) (54.8%) (44.3%) 36.3% 30.1% 28.5% 26.1% 26.7% Non-Hispanic Asian alone 4.6% 8.0% 9.3% 4.6% 3.8% 2.7% 4.0% 4.1% 3.6% 7.9% 14.0% 21.3% 28.0% 30.7% 33.1% 33.7% — Chinese American 4.6% 8.0% 9.3% 4.1% 2.7% 1.5% 2.5% 2.8% 2.5% 5.1% 8.7% 12.1% 17.6% 20.0% 19.8% 21.0% — Filipino American — — — — — 0.2% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 1.5% 3.6% 5.2% 5.4% 5.0% 4.9% 4.4% — Indian American — — — — — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% — — — 0.3% 0.3% 0.6% 1.6% 2.2% — Vietnamese American — — — — — — — — — — — 0.8% 1.3% 1.4% 2.1% 1.4% — Korean American — — — — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% — — 0.1% 0.5% 0.9% 0.9% 1.5% 1.5% — Japanese American — <0.1% <0.1% 0.5% 1.1% 1.0% 1.0% 0.8% 0.6% 1.3% 1.6% 1.9% 1.6% 1.5% 1.3% 0.9% Hispanic or Latino, any race(s) 3.0% 2.1% 2.4% 2.5% 2.5% 3.4% 4.4% 4.1% 5.7% 9.4% 11.5% 12.6% 13.3% 14.2% 15.2% 15.6% — Native American/Indigenous alone <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.5% — Black alone or in combination 0.1% <0.1% 0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.2% 0.5% 0.2% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 0.6% — Asian or Pacific Islander alone — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.8% 0.5% 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% — Listing European Ancestry, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 8] — — 0.9% 1.1% 0.9% 1.4% 1.5% (1.2%) (1.5%) (2.0%) (2.0%) 1.7% 1.3% 1.3% 2.0% 2.4% — Salvadoran American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 9] — — — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% (0.2%) (0.3%) (0.7%) (1.1%) 1.4% 2.7% 2.7% 2.0% 2.1% — Mexican American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 10] — — 1.1% 1.2% 1.0% 1.5% 2.2% (2.0%) (2.6%) (4.1%) (4.7%) 4.9% 4.7% 5.5% 6.6% 6.1% Non-Hispanic Black alone 2.1% 0.9% 0.6% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 0.7% 7.4% 9.7% 13.1% 12.3% 10.7% 7.6% 6.0% 5.1% — Listing West Indian or Brazilian Ancestry — — — — — — — — — — — 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% — Listing Specific African Ancestry, n.e.c. — — — — — — — — — — — 0.1% 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% 0.5% — Other African American, n.e.c.[lower-alpha 11] — — — — — — — — — — — 12.0% 10.4% 7.4% 5.6% 4.4% Non-Hispanic Pacific Islander alone — — — — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% — 0.1% 0.2% 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 0.3% 0.5% 0.3% Non-Hispanic Native American alone <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% Non-Hispanic Other — — — — — — — <0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.8% Non-Hispanic Two or more races — — — — — — — — — — — — — 3.0% 2.9% 5.2% — White and Asian — — — — — — — — — — — (0.5%)[lower-alpha 12] (0.6%) 1.0% 1.5% 2.3% — White and Black — — — — — — — — — — — (0.1%)[lower-alpha 13] (<0.1%) 0.2% 0.3% 0.6% Source: US Census and IPUMS USA[14]

Birthplace[14] 1842[16] 1852[17] 1860 1880 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 United States 5.6% 45.9% 49.8% 55.5% 65.2% 65.6% 69.9% 72.3% 77.0% 81.2% 79.8% 76.3% 70.5% 64.6% 61.6% 61.8% 65.8% — California[lower-alpha 14] — 2.1% 15.7% 33.2% 45.8% 43.8% 44.9% 44.3% 47.2% 42.5% 41.8% 39.7% 36.8% 35.3% 34.2% 37.6% 41.5% — Other Northern/Western U.S.[lower-alpha 15] 5.1% 36.1% 29.1% 19.8% 17.3% 19.0% 21.7% 24.3% 25.3% 27.3% 27.6% 27.0% 23.7% 20.9% 20.1% 18.0% 18.2% — Southern U.S.[lower-alpha 16] 0.5% 7.7% 5.0% 2.5% 2.1% 2.8% 3.3% 3.6% 4.5% 11.3% 10.4% 9.6% 10.1% 8.4% 7.2% 6.2% 6.1% Other Anglosphere 3.6% 29.8% 24.3% 19.6% 13.4% 10.7% 8.4% 7.1% 5.5% 2.9% 2.9% 2.9% 1.7% 1.6% 1.9% 2.3% 2.3% — Britain 2.6% 14.1% 5.6% 4.3% 3.7% 3.4% 2.9% 2.5% 1.9% 1.3% 1.0% 1.0% 0.6% 0.5% 0.7% 0.7% 0.9% — Ireland 1.0% 11.3% 16.6% 13.2% 7.7% 5.6% 3.6% 2.7% 1.9% 1.1% 0.8% 0.8% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.6% 0.4% — Canada, Australia, or New Zealand — 4.4% 2.1% 2.1% 2.0% 1.7% 1.9% 1.9% 1.7% 1.5% 1.1% 1.1% 0.7% 0.7% 0.8% 1.0% 1.0% Other Europe or Central Asia 1.5% 14.5% 18.6% 14.8% 16.7% 19.9% 18.2% 16.0% 13.5% 8.8% 9.1% 6.3% 4.8% 3.8% 4.3% 3.9% 3.6% — Former Soviet Union — 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.4% 1.1% 1.2% 1.4% 1.4% 1.2% 1.3% 1.0% 1.0% 1.1% 1.9% 1.5% 1.3% — Germany or Austria — 6.4% 10.7% 8.7% 7.9% 6.9% 4.4% 3.3% 2.8% 1.6% 1.9% 1.3% 1.0% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.8% — France or Belgium 0.5% 5.2% 4.0% 1.9% 1.5% 1.6% 1.5% 1.1% 0.8% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.3% 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 0.7% — Netherlands, Switzerland, or Nordic Countries 1.0% 1.4% 2.0% 2.2% 3.8% 4.5% 3.6% 3.2% 2.5% 1.7% 1.4% 0.7% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% — Italy — 0.5% 0.8% 1.1% 2.2% 4.1% 4.8% 4.4% 3.8% 2.3% 2.2% 1.2% 1.0% 0.5% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% — Southeast Europe — 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 1.0% 1.3% 1.3% 1.2% 0.8% 0.9% 0.9% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.1% — Spain or Portugal — 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.5% 0.7% 0.5% 0.4% 0.5% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% 0.1% — Poland, Czechia, or Slovakia — 0.3% 0.6% 0.4% 0.3% 0.1% 0.6% 0.6% 0.5% 0.2% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% Asia-Pacific 0.5% 0.7% 4.8% 9.0% 3.7% 2.9% 2.0% 2.6% 2.4% 2.4% 4.5% 8.8% 15.0% 20.0% 22.8% 22.9% 20.0% — China — 0.4% 4.7% 8.9% 3.2% 1.8% 0.9% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 2.4% 4.0% 7.2% 10.6% 12.8% 13.0% 11.7% —— (Hong Kong or Taiwan) — — — — — — — — — — — — (1.7%) (2.5%) (2.9%) (2.3%) (2.1%) — Philippines 0.5% 0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.3% 0.6% 0.5% 0.5% 1.4% 2.7% 4.4% 4.2% 4.2% 3.4% 3.1% — India — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% <0.1% 0.3% 0.5% 0.6% 0.9% 1.4% 1.6% — Vietnam — — — — — — — — — — — <0.1% 1.0% 2.0% 2.1% 2.1% 1.4% — Korea — — — — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% — <0.1% 0.1% 0.5% 0.8% 0.7% 1.1% 1.0% — Japan — — <0.1% <0.1% 0.5% 1.0% 0.8% 0.6% 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 0.7% 0.8% 0.7% 0.8% 0.7% 0.4% Latin America or Caribbean 88.8% 9.0% 1.9% 1.0% 0.6% 0.6% 1.3% 1.8% 1.3% 1.6% 2.7% 4.5% 5.6% 7.7% 8.2% 7.9% 6.8% — Mexico[lower-alpha 17] 88.3% 6.1% 1.5% 0.7% 0.7% 0.5% 0.8% 1.1% 0.8% 0.9% 0.9% 1.5% 1.9% 2.3% 2.8% 3.1% 2.4% — El Salvador — <0.1% — — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.4% 1.1% 1.1% 2.1% 2.0% 1.3% 1.4% — Other Central America — <0.1% 0.1% 0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 0.7% 1.1% 1.4% 1.9% 1.9% 1.6% 1.5% — South America 0.5% 2.6% 0.6% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.3% 0.5% 0.6% 0.9% 1.0% 1.3% 1.3% — Caribbean — <0.1% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.4% 0.3% 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.2% Middle East or North Africa — <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 0.3% 0.7% 0.9% 0.9% 0.8% 1.0% Sub-Saharan Africa — 0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% <0.1% 0.1% <0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% Born Outside the United States 94.4% 54.1% 50.2% 44.5% 34.8% 34.4% 30.1% 27.7% 23.0% 18.8% 20.2% 23.7% 29.5% 35.4% 38.4% 38.2% 34.2% Born Outside California — 95.9% 83.9% 66.7% 54.0% 56.1% 55.1% 55.7% 52.8% 57.5% 58.2% 60.3% 63.2% 64.7% 65.8% 62.4% 58.5% Source: 1842 San Francisco Census,[16] 1852 California Census,[17] US Census, and IPUMS USA[14]

Map of racial distribution in San Francisco Bay Area, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, or Other (yellow)

2019 United States Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates

Race and ethnic/ancestral origins of San Franciscans, 2019

Racial Makeup of San Francisco (2019)[18]   White alone (45.22%)   Black alone (5.47%)   Native American alone (0.40%)   Asian alone (34.90%)   Pacific Islander alone (0.43%)   Some other race alone (7.89%)   Two or more races (5.69%)

Racial/Ethnic Makeup of San Francisco excluding Hispanics from Racial Categories (2019)[18] NH=Non-Hispanic   White NH (39.82%)   Black NH (5.23%)   Native American NH (0.28%)   Asian NH (34.57%)   Pacific Islander NH (0.40%)   Other race NH (0.41%)   Two or more races NH (4.06%)   Hispanic Any Race (15.24%)

Racial Makeup of Hispanics in San Francisco (2019)[18]   White alone (35.48%)   Black alone (1.61%)   Native American alone (0.82%)   Asian alone (2.18%)   Pacific Islander alone (0.18%)   Other race alone (49.09%)   Two or more races (10.65%)

According to 2019 American Community Survey annual estimates conducted by the US Census Bureau, San Francisco's population was 45.2% European American (39.8% Non-Hispanic White and 5.4% Hispanic White), 5.5% Black or African American, 34.9% Asian, 7.9% Some Other Race, 0.4% Native American and Alaskan Native, 0.4% Pacific Islander and 5.7% from two or more races.^[18]

The White population continues to remain the largest racial category in San Francisco and includes the 35.5% of Hispanics who self-identify as White. The remainder of Hispanics self-identify as Other Race (49.1%), Multiracial (10.7%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.8%), Black (1.6%), Asian (2.2%), and Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (0.2%).^[18]

Asian Americans remain the largest minority group at either 34.9% (including Asian Hispanics) or 34.6% (excluding Asian Hispanics).^[18]

The Black population continues to decline and at 5.5% (including Black Hispanics) or 5.2% (excluding Black Hispanics)^[18] is well below the national average of 12.8% (including Black Hispanics).^[19] The Black population peaked in the 1970 Census at 13.4%.^[20]

If Hispanics are treated as a separate category from race, San Francisco's population was 39.8% European, 34.6% Asian, 15.2% Hispanic-Latino, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.4% Some Other Race, 0.3% Native American and Alaskan Native, 0.4% Pacific Islander and 4.1% from two or more races.^[18] By ethnicity, 15.2% of the total population is Hispanic-Latino (of any race), below the national average of 18.4%.^[19] If treated as a category separate from race, Hispanics are the third largest minority group in San Francisco County.^[18]

The largest ancestry group of Hispanics in San Francisco are of Mexican descent (52.7% of Hispanics) followed by Salvadoran descent (12.0% of Hispanics), Nicaraguan descent (8.0%), Guatemalan descent (5.3%), Puerto Rican descent (3.7%), Spaniard descent (2.9%), Peruvian descent (2.8%), Chilean descent (1.4%), Colombian descent (1.4%), Cuban descent (1.3%), Argentinian descent (1.1%), and those of other Hispanic ethnicity or of mixed Hispanic ethnicity (7.4%).^[21]

Indigenous Americans

During the Spanish mission period, from the late 1700s to 1830, the indigenous people of the East Bay were enslaved, relocated and decimated by disease, leading to their disappearance.^[22] The White Americans who came after the Spanish had an even more extreme policy of genocide towards Native Americans; dubbed a "war of extermination" by California governors, which saw the demise of the remaining indigenous inhabitants of the Bay Area, often by state-sponsored violence.^[22][23]

European Americans

As of July 2019, European Americans in San Francisco are 45.2% of the population of San Francisco.^[18] Non-Hispanic whites are 39.8% of the population.^[18]

There is a French community in San Francisco.^[24]

There is an Italian community in North Beach.^[25]

There is an Irish community in San Francisco.^[26]

Neighborhoods

The neighborhoods that have the highest percentage of non-Hispanic white residents are Marina (78.2%), Cow Hollow (76.8%), Parnassus - Ashbury (74.1%), Eureka Valley - Dolores Heights - Castro (73.8%), and Noe Valley (72.0%).^[27]

The neighborhoods with the lowest percentage of non-Hispanic white residents are Visitacion Valley (5.5%) and Silver Terrace (7.0%).

Education

White students make up only 12.9% of San Francisco public school students, despite white people constituting 41.6% of the city's population. Although this discrepancy is explained somewhat by white residents being older on average than residents of other ethnic groups, the more important reason is that white students are disproportionately likely to be enrolled in private school. This is increasingly the case in higher levels of education, with only 8.9% of the public high school population being white.^[28]

African Americans

Main article: African Americans in San Francisco

Those who identify solely as African American made up 5.2% of the population in 2019.^[18] Those who include partial non-black ancestry make up 6.4% of the city's population.^[29] Neighborhoods with significant black populations include Fillmore District, Hunters Point, and Visitacion Valley.

Asian Americans

Main article: Asian Americans in San Francisco (disambiguation)

San Francisco is about 35% Asian, with 23% being Chinese. Chinatown, Richmond District and Sunset District have significant Chinese populations. Japanese communities are found in Japantown and Sunset District. Vietnamese community is concentrated in Chinatown, Tenderloin, Richmond, and Sunset. The Filipino community is concentrated in Crocker Amazon and Soma.

The Asian population of the San Francisco Bay Area has a very high rate of marriage with people of other races, with most interracial marriages involving White Americans. In some ethnic groups, such as American-born Chinese, the outmarriage rate is 80%.^[30][31] The Japanese population of the South Bay is diverse, and many have mixed-race backgrounds due to the growing trend of inter-racial marriages. According to a study conducted by Japanese American Citizens League, between 2000 and 2009, the mixed race Japanese population in San Jose grew by 27.3%, while the mono-racial Japanese population declined.^[32]

Hispanic and Latino Americans

Main article: Hispanic and Latino Americans in San Francisco

Ancestries

Ancestry by origin[33]	Number	%
Afghan	759
Albanian	108

Education, households, and income

Of all major cities in the United States, San Francisco has the second-highest percentage of residents with a college degree, behind only Seattle. Over 44% of adults within the city limits have a bachelor's or higher degree.^[34] USA Today reported that Rob Pitingolo, a researcher who measured college graduates per square mile, found that San Francisco had the highest rate at 7,031 per square mile, or over 344,000 total graduates in the city's 46.7 square miles (121 km²).^[35]

The Census reported that 780,971 people (97.0% of the population) lived in households, 18,902 (2.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 5,362 (0.7%) were institutionalized. There were 345,811 households, out of which 63,577 (18.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 109,437 (31.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 28,844 (8.3%) had a female householder with no spouse present, 12,748 (3.7%) had a male householder with no spouse present. There were 21,677 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10,384 (3.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 133,366 households (38.6%) were made up of individuals, and 34,234 (9.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26. There were 151,029 families (43.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.11. There were 376,942 housing units, at an average density of 1,625.5 per square mile (627.6/km²), of which 123,646 (35.8%) were owner-occupied, and 222,165 (64.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 327,985 people (40.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 452,986 people (56.3%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2005 American Community Survey, San Francisco has the highest percentage of gay and lesbian individuals of any of the 50 largest U.S. cities, at 15.4%.^[36] San Francisco also has the highest percentage of same-sex households of any American county, with the Bay Area having a higher concentration than any other metropolitan area.^[37]

Income in 2011
Per capita income[38]	$46,777
Median household income[39]	$72,947
Median family income[40]	$87,329

San Francisco ranks third of American cities in median household income^[41] with a 2007 value of $65,519.^[11] Median family income is $81,136,^[11] and the San Francisco Bay Area ranks 8th in the number of billionaires known in the region.^[42] Following a national trend, an emigration of middle-class families is contributing to widening income disparity^[43] and has left the city with a lower proportion of children, 14.5%, than any other large American city.^[44]

The city's poverty rate is 11.8% and the number of families in poverty stands at 7.4%, both lower than the national average.^[45] The unemployment rate stands at 4.8% in the greater San Francisco Bay Area as of January 2015^[update].^[46]

Homelessness

See also: Homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area

Homelessness has been a chronic and controversial problem for San Francisco since the early 1970s when many mentally ill patients were deinstitutionalized, due to changes which began during the 1960s with the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid.^[47] The homeless population is estimated to be 13,500 with 6,500 living on the streets.^[48] The city is believed to have the highest number of homeless inhabitants per capita of any major U.S. city.^[49][50] Rates of reported violent and property crimes for 2009 (736 and 4,262 incidents per 100,000 residents, respectively)^[51] are slightly lower than for similarly sized U.S. cities.^[52]

Languages and ages

As of 2020, 54.58% (411,728) of San Francisco residents aged five and older spoke only English at home, while 18.60% (140,302) spoke a Chinese language, 11.68% (88,147) Spanish, 3.42% (25,767) Tagalog, 1.86% (14,017) Russian, 1.45% (10,939) Vietnamese, 1.05% (7,895) French, 0.90% (6,777) Japanese, 0.88% (6,624) Korean, 0.56% (4,215) German, 0.53% (3,995) Italian, and Pacific Islander languages were spoken by 0.47% (3,535). In total, 45.42% (342,693) of San Francisco's population aged five and older spoke a language at home other than English.^[53]

The age distribution of the city was as follows: 107,524 people (13.4%) under the age of 18, 77,664 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 301,802 people (37.5%) aged 25 to 44, 208,403 people (25.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 109,842 people (13.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males.

Religion

Religion in San Francisco (2014)^[54]

  No religion (35%)

  Roman Catholicism (25%)

  Protestantism (20%)

  Mormonism (1%)

  Eastern Orthodoxy (1%)

  Other Christian (1%)

  Judaism (3%)

  Islam (1%)

  Hinduism (5%)

  Buddhism (2%)

  Other religion (4%)

  Don't know (2%)

According to a Pew Research study conducted in 2014, the religious demographics of San Francisco are as follows:^[54]

• Christianity 48%
  • Catholicism 25%
  • Protestantism 20%
    • Evangelical Protestantism 10%
    • Mainline Protestantism 6%
    • Historically Black Protestant 4%
  • Mormonism 1%
  • Eastern Orthodoxy 1%
  • Other Christian 1%
• Irreligion 35%
• Others 15%
  • Hinduism 5%
  • Judaism 3%
  • Buddhism 2%
  • Islam 1%
  • Other religion 4%
• Don't know 2%

Notes

1. 1880-1930: Born or with parent born in Middle East/Central Asia (including West Asia, North Africa, Caucuses, Central Asia). 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in Middle East/Central Asia.
2. Figures in parentheses from 1940 to 1970 are derived from linear interpolation of group's share of higher level group (e.g., "Non-Hispanic White alone") figure between 1930 and 1980.
3. 1880-1930: Born or with parent born in Spain or Spanish-Speaking Americas. 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in Spain or Spanish-Speaking Americas. "Not elsewhere classified" (above).
4. 1880-1930: Born or with parent born in Eastern Europe (including former Soviet bloc and Greece). 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in Eastern Europe. "Not elsewhere classified" (above).
5. 1880-1930: Born or with parent born in Portugal or Brazil. 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in Portugal or Brazil. "Not elsewhere classified" (above).
6. 1880-1930: Born or with parent born in Italy. 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in Italy. "Not elsewhere classified" (above).
7. Balance of overall "Non-Hispanic White alone" figure and 5 groups listed above; largely Northwest European Americans (British, Irish, German, etc.).
8. 1880-1930: Born or with parents born in Europe. 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in Europe. "Not elsewhere classified" (above).
9. 1880-1930: Born or with parents born in El Salvador. 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in El Salvador. "Not elsewhere classified" (above).
10. 1880-1930: Born or with parents born in Mexico, or the American Southwest before 1850. 1980-2020: Born or listing ancestry in Mexico. "Not elsewhere classified" (above).
11. Largely descended from enslaved Americans.
12. Those listing European and Asian ancestry in the first and second responses to the Census ancestry question. (Multiple responses to the Census race question were not allowed before 2000.)
13. Those listing European and African or African-American ancestry in the first and second responses to the Census ancestry question.
14. In 1850 or later.
15. Excluding in Nevada, Utah, Arizona, or New Mexico before 1850.
16. Excluding Texas before 1850.
17. Including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas before 1850.

References

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2. Richards, Rand (1992). Historic San Francisco: A Concise History and Guide. Heritage House. ISBN 978-1-879367-00-5. OCLC 214330849.
3. Gibson, Campbell (June 1998). Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990. U.S. Census Bureau.
4. Official 1850 census results were destroyed by fire. This 1852 figure is from a state Census. .
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7. After New York City, only for cities with greater than 200,000 population. Otherwise it is not 2nd."2000 Census: US Municipalities Over 50,000: Ranked by 2000 Density". Demographia. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
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10. "Interactive: Mapping the census". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
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19. "B03002 HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE - United States - 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. July 1, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
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23. "There Were Once More Than 425 Shellmounds in the Bay Area. Where Did They Go?". KQED. March 24, 2022. The San Francisco Bay Area was a popular place to live for Native Americans. Natural resources from both water and land were abundant here. The area from Point Sur in the south to the Carquinez Strait in the north was one of the most densely populated places for Indigenous people north of Mexico, with roughly 10,000 inhabitants...But as colonizers came to California in the 1700s and 1800s, the native population was devastated. They were killed by newly introduced diseases, starvation and genocide. These killings were at times funded by the state of California and the U.S. government.
24. Claudine Chalmers (2007). French San Francisco. p. 113.
25. Nolte, By Carl. "Last of the old-time Italians in North Beach". Sfgate. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
26. "IRISH San Francisco - FoundSF". www.foundsf.org. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
27. "The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States - Statistical Atlas".
28. "Where Are All the White People in San Francisco Public Schools?". March 24, 2015.
29. "BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH ONE OR MORE OTHER RACES". U.S. Census Bureau.
30. Zinzius, Birgit (2005). Chinese America: Stereotype and Reality : History, Present, and Future of the Chinese Americans. Peter Lang. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-8204-6744-3.
31. Ling, Huping (August 11, 2023). Asian American History. Rutgers University Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-9788-2625-0. In the San Francisco Bay Area, American-born Asians were more likely to marry outside their own ethnic group. In some ethnic groups, the interracial marriage rate was as high as 80 percent in 1990.19
32. Hirai, Tomo (2012). "The Evolving Face of San Jose and the South Bay". Nichi Bei. The University of Maryland and JACL report said the overall Japanese American population in the greater San Jose area increased by 3,588 persons, or 10.8 percent, between 2000 and 2009. The report further states that the mixed-heritage population increased by 1,555 persons (27.3 percent) while single-race Japanese Americans have declined ... The Nikkei population in the South Bay continues to grow, but as new demographics among Japanese Americans emerge, the growth does not appear to be clear-cut. Shin-Nikkei and mixed-race Japanese Americans are growing in number while the "traditional" single-race Japanese Americans are waning.
33. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
34. "The brainpower of America's largest cities". Bizjournals.com (data interpreted from U.S. Census). 2006. Archived from the original on July 1, 2006. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
35. Winter, Michael (June 9, 2010). "New measure ranks San Francisco the 'smartest' U.S. city". USA Today. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
36. Gates, Gary (October 2006). "Same-sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the American Community Survey" (PDF). The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
37. "Gay and Lesbian Families in the United States: Same-Sex Unmarried Partner Households" (PDF). Human Rights Campaign. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 13, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2006.
38. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
39. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
40. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
41. "Median Household Income (In 2003 Inflation-adjusted Dollars) (Place Level)". U.S. Census Bureau. August 22, 2007. Archived from the original on December 9, 2004. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
42. Obusan, Claire (March 12, 2006). "Top Ten Billionaire cities". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
43. Hendricks, Tyche (June 22, 2006). "Rich City Poor City: Middle-class neighborhoods are disappearing from the nation's cities, leaving only high- and low-income districts, new study says". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications. p. A-1. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
44. "Families Struggle To Stay: Why Families are Leaving San Francisco and What Can Be Done" (PDF). Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth. March 1, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
45. "Economic Characteristics". 2005–2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates – Data Profile Highlights. U.S. Census Bureau. 2007. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
46. "Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas". Bureau of Labor Statistics. January 2015.
47. "Deinstitutionalization: A Psychiatric 'Titanic'". PBS. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
48. Matier, Phillip; Ross, Andrew (September 27, 2010). "Homeless problem lingers as S.F. spends millions". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
49. "San Francisco Program Combats Homelessness with Innovation". PBS. April 5, 2005. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
50. Pratt, Timothy (August 12, 2006). "Critics say regional plan won't solve the problem". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved August 30, 2006.
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53. "San Francisco County, California". Modern Language Association. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
54. Adults in the San Francisco metro area, Pew Research Center