San Francisco/Compare
Bernal Heights vs Potrero Hill
Bernal Heights and Potrero Hill are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Bernal Heights is the calmer Part I map (79 vs 58). Walk is a wash (6 vs 7). 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 | Potrero Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 79 | 58 |
| Schools | 67 | 57 |
| Walk | 6 | 7 |
| Cost fit | 88 | 74 |
| Vibe | 7 | 8 |
| Median rent | $2,833 | $3,376 |
| Median home | $1,534,862 | $1,530,280 |
| Population | 24,099 | 16,013 |
| Commute to FiDi | 33 min | 32 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 23 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 15 min | 13 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Bernal Heights | Potrero Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 38% | 57% |
| Median age | 42.3 | 35.2 |
| Median income | $183K | $223K |
| Part I per 1k | 20.9 | 31.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 11 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 97 | 91 |
| Parks / 800m | 30 | 39 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,010 | 412 |
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. Potrero is 36% 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 rent gap is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. ACS median rent is $2,833 vs $3,376. Safety is 79 vs 58. Vibe is 7 vs 8. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Potrero Hill if you already want this pocket more than the table. Bernal Heights leads the numbered axes on this page.
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
Potrero Hill
Sunny slope, Dogpatch on the eastern edge, and a view back at downtown. Quieter than the Mission; still inner.
$3,376 median rent · safety 58 · walk 7
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Bernal Heights or Potrero Hill?
Bernal Heights is the lower ACS median: $2,833 vs $3,376. About 38% rent in Bernal Heights vs 57% in Potrero Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Bernal Heights more walkable than Potrero Hill?
Walk is basically a tie (6 vs 7). Count groceries if you care: 15 in Bernal Heights vs 11 in Potrero Hill, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Bernal Heights or Potrero Hill?
Bernal Heights is the calmer Part I read (79 vs 58). Combined rate 20.9 vs 31.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Bernal Heights or Potrero Hill?
Bernal Heights leads the school axis (67 vs 57). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 7.5 / 10. Median age 42.3 vs 35.2. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
33 minutes from Bernal Heights to FiDi, 32 from Potrero Hill. Potrero Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Bernal Heights or Potrero Hill: Noe Valley. Strollers on 24th, sun on the south slope, and the lowest violent rate in this set. The family read of inner SF.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.