66fit
Mission
$2K median rent
Valencia corridor, Mission murals, and a density that never sleeps. The official analysis neighborhood is just Mission — search the street names.
NightlifeWalk 86Safety 11
San Francisco/Castro
35fit
Castro
Official analysis neighborhood: Castro/Upper Market
Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · SFPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
The Castro is the search term; Castro/Upper Market is the official polygon. Hills, neon, and a Muni metro under Market.
the castroupper marketduboce triangleeureka valley
Best in San Francisco for familiesWalkable San FranciscoUnder $2,500 rent
Why this score
Safety
21
75 violent · 817 property · 40.6 per 1k (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026)-29 vs city set
Schools
53
Rating 7.4 / 10 nearby0 vs city set
Walk
20
OSM: 15 groceries · 21 cafes · 135 transit · 43 parks-6 vs city set
Cost
80
$2,763 ACS median vs your rent budget0 vs city set
Vibe
14
OSM: 21 cafes · 59 restaurants · 21 bars · 43 parks-9 vs city set
Commute to work
From Castro, a typical weekday is 28 min to FiDi, 22 min to SoMa, 21 min to Mission Bay. Not live traffic.
Mission Bay is the fastest of these three job centers from here.
FiDi
28 min
Embarcadero offices · +4 min vs the city-set median
SoMa
22 min
Tech lofts · -1 min vs the city-set median
Mission Bay
21 min
UCSF, new offices · -6 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three
Minutes are baked from neighborhood geography to three job centers — not Google, not this hour’s traffic.
Cost of living
ACS median gross rent is $2,763 across all occupied rental units — studios through large apartments mixed together, not a live 1-bed or 2-bed quote.
That is 16% of median household income — under the 30% HUD cost-burden line. A household at this area’s median income ($213K) could “afford” about $5,314 a month at 30% of gross pay.
56% of households rent. Median home value is $1,662,097.
ACS median rent
$2,763
30% income budget
$5,314
Rent / income
16%
Median home
$1,662,097
HUD treats 30% of gross household income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS median rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed — that table is all occupied rental units. Method.
Within a walk
Inside the official analysis neighborhood or within 800 meters of its centroid, OpenStreetMap maps 15 groceries, 21 cafes, 43 parks, and 135 transit stops.
Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 43 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (135 stops or stations).
21 cafes and 59 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the San Francisco set.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, 800 m. Not a Walk Score license. Groceries here beat 9 of 19 other areas in this city set.
Population
21,944
Median age
43.4
Median income
$213K
Renters
56%
Bachelor+
81%
Violent / 1k
3.4
Property / 1k
37.2
ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 7 census tracts · SFPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM 2026-09-01
Nightlife
Crime is SFPD Part I reports per 1,000 ACS residents — not a judgment of who lives here. Home and rent figures are ACS medians, not live MLS. Read the method.
On the ground
What it is like to live here, beyond the scores.
The Castro is the search term; Castro/Upper Market is the official polygon. Hills, neon, a Muni metro under Market, and a neighborhood that invented a lot of what other cities copy. Nightlife and identity are the product, not an overlay.
Upper Market’s new stacks are a different demographic than the historic Castro streets. Tour both. Weight vibe. The hill is real. Compare to Hayes Valley for a smaller, boutique-central version, or to Noe for the family sequel.
Compiled from Zillow neighborhood guides, 5280 Magazine, Chicago and San Francisco resident guides, Mpls With Love, Eastside LA reporting, and local coverage, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.
Common questions
Answers from the same ACS, crime, and OSM figures on this page.
Is Castro safe?
On this map Castro has a higher Part I rate than most San Francisco analysis neighborhoods in the set (safety 21 vs city 50). SFPD logged 3.4 violent and 37.2 property incidents per 1,000 ACS residents — 40.6 combined. Rates mix residents and visitors. They are not a judgment of who lives here.
What is rent in Castro?
ACS median rent is $2,763. Median home value is $1,662,097. About 56% of households rent. These are survey medians, not this week's listings.
Is Castro walkable?
Walk scores 20 here vs 26 for the San Francisco set — you will likely drive or ride for daily errands. OpenStreetMap counts within 800 meters: 15 groceries, 21 cafes, 135 transit stops, 43 parks.
Is Castro good for families?
Nightlife and visitor traffic show up in the amenity mix — not the quietest family default. Nearby school rating is 7.4 / 10. Median age is 43.4.
How long is the commute from Castro?
Typical weekday minutes to FiDi: 28. Not live traffic. Open the neighborhood page for the other job centers in San Francisco.
How many people live in Castro?
About 21,944 residents, median income $213K, 81% with a bachelor's or higher. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · SFPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM.
What neighborhoods are next to Castro?
Closest on this map: Haight-Ashbury, Noe Valley, Mission. Compare Castro vs Haight-Ashbury if you are deciding between two official analysis neighborhoods.
Next door
Adjacent on the analysis neighborhood map, ranked with your weights.
Castro vs Haight-AshburyCastro vs Noe ValleyCastro vs Mission
45fit
Inner Sunset
$3K median rent
Ninth Avenue, UCSF up the hill, and Cole Valley on the eastern edge. The walkable west side.
Family streetsWalk 13Safety 95
38fit
Bernal Heights
$3K median rent
A hill with a park on top and Cortland at the base. South of the Mission without Mission prices — relatively.
Family streetsWalk 6Safety 79
37fit
Haight-Ashbury
$3K median rent
The Haight is the brand; the Panhandle is the commute. Still walkable, still loud on weekends, still next to the park.
NightlifeWalk 13Safety 74
36fit
Noe Valley
$3K median rent
Strollers on 24th, sun on the south slope, and the lowest violent rate in this set. The family read of inner SF.
Family streetsWalk 5Safety 68