San Francisco/Compare
Bernal Heights vs Mission Bay
Bernal Heights and Mission Bay are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Bernal Heights is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 63). Bernal Heights wins the errand count. Bernal Heights has the lower ACS median ($2,833).
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 | Mission Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 63 |
| Schools | 67 | 40 |
| Walk | 6 | 0 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 72 |
| Vibe | 7 | 12 |
| Median rent | $2,833 | $3,485 |
| Median home | $1,534,862 | $1,190,373 |
| Population | 24,099 | 17,598 |
| Commute to FiDi | 33 min | 24 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 23 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 15 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Bernal Heights | Mission Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 38% | 66% |
| Median age | 42.3 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $183K | $198K |
| Part I per 1k | 20.9 | 29.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 2 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 97 | 80 |
| Parks / 800m | 30 | 36 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,010 | 437 |
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. Msn Bay is 41% 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 school rating nearby is the point and the rent gap is the point. Schools score 67 vs 40. ACS median rent is $2,833 vs $3,485. Safety is 79 vs 63. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Mission Bay if the shorter ride to FiDi is the point. 24 vs 33 minutes to FiDi. 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
Mission Bay
UCSF, new towers, and a shoreline that did not exist a generation ago. Planned more than discovered.
$3,485 median rent · safety 63 · walk 0
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Bernal Heights or Mission Bay?
Bernal Heights is the lower ACS median: $2,833 vs $3,485. About 38% rent in Bernal Heights vs 66% in Mission Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Bernal Heights more walkable than Mission Bay?
Bernal Heights wins the errand count (walk 6 vs 0). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 2. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Bernal Heights or Mission Bay?
Bernal Heights is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 63). Combined rate 20.9 vs 29.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Bernal Heights or Mission Bay?
Bernal Heights leads the school axis (67 vs 40). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 42.3 vs 33.9. Mission Bay 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, 24 from Mission Bay. Mission Bay is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Bernal Heights or Mission Bay: Potrero Hill. Sunny slope, Dogpatch on the eastern edge, and a view back at downtown. Quieter than the Mission; still inner.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.