San Francisco/Compare
Bernal Heights vs Hayes Valley
Bernal Heights and Hayes Valley are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Bernal Heights is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 16). Hayes Valley wins the errand count. Hayes Valley has the lower ACS median ($2,636).
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · SFPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
Scores
Fit axes among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods.
| Axis | Bernal Heights | Hayes Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 16 |
| Schools | 67 | 40 |
| Walk | 6 | 17 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 95 |
| Vibe | 7 | 21 |
| Median rent | $2,833 | $2,636 |
| Median home | $1,534,862 | $1,156,018 |
| Population | 24,099 | 18,871 |
| Commute to FiDi | 33 min | 14 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 23 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 15 min | 21 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Bernal Heights | Hayes Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 38% | 83% |
| Median age | 42.3 | 35 |
| Median income | $183K | $131K |
| Part I per 1k | 20.9 | 41.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 24 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 97 | 83 |
| Parks / 800m | 30 | 40 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,010 | 1,356 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Bernal is 14% above the 2024 city median. Hayes is 6% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Bernal Heights if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 79 vs 16. Schools score 67 vs 40. Bernal Heights is tagged family on this map; Hayes Valley is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Hayes Valley if the shorter ride to FiDi is the point and you want the cafes and the night. 14 vs 33 minutes to FiDi. Vibe is 21 vs 7. Walk is 17 vs 6. Read both pages before you decide.
Bernal Heights
A hill with a park on top and Cortland at the base. South of the Mission without Mission prices — relatively.
$2,833 median rent · safety 79 · walk 6
Hayes Valley
The freeway came down; the boutiques stayed. A compact walk to the opera without living on the Tenderloin edge.
$2,636 median rent · safety 16 · walk 17
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Bernal Heights or Hayes Valley?
Hayes Valley is the lower ACS median: $2,833 vs $2,636. About 83% rent in Hayes Valley vs 38% in Bernal Heights. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Bernal Heights more walkable than Hayes Valley?
Hayes Valley wins the errand count (walk 6 vs 17). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 24. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Bernal Heights or Hayes Valley?
Bernal Heights is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 16). Combined rate 20.9 vs 41.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Bernal Heights or Hayes Valley?
Bernal Heights leads the school axis (67 vs 40). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 42.3 vs 35. Hayes Valley has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
33 minutes from Bernal Heights to FiDi, 14 from Hayes Valley. Hayes Valley is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Bernal Heights or Hayes Valley: Mission. Valencia corridor, Mission murals, and a density that never sleeps. The official analysis neighborhood is just Mission — search the street names.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.