San Francisco/Compare
Castro vs Inner Sunset
Castro and Inner Sunset are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Inner Sunset is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 21). Castro wins the errand count. Castro has the lower ACS median ($2,763).
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 | Castro | Inner Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 21 | 95 |
| Schools | 53 | 90 |
| Walk | 20 | 13 |
| Cost fit | 90 | 86 |
| Vibe | 14 | 9 |
| Median rent | $2,763 | $2,916 |
| Median home | $1,662,097 | $1,680,328 |
| Population | 21,944 | 27,144 |
| Commute to FiDi | 28 min | 33 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 22 min | 32 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 21 min | 34 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Castro | Inner Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 56% | 59% |
| Median age | 43.4 | 40 |
| Median income | $213K | $168K |
| Part I per 1k | 40.6 | 11.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 15 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 135 | 123 |
| Parks / 800m | 43 | 25 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,080 | 644 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Castro is 12% above the 2024 city median. I Sun is 18% 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 Castro if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 14 vs 9. ACS median rent is $2,763 vs $2,916. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Inner Sunset if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 95 vs 21. Schools score 90 vs 53. Inner Sunset is tagged family on this map; Castro is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Castro
The Castro is the search term; Castro/Upper Market is the official polygon. Hills, neon, and a Muni metro under Market.
$2,763 median rent · safety 21 · walk 20
Inner Sunset
Ninth Avenue, UCSF up the hill, and Cole Valley on the eastern edge. The walkable west side.
$2,916 median rent · safety 95 · walk 13
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Castro or Inner Sunset?
Castro is the lower ACS median: $2,763 vs $2,916. About 56% rent in Castro vs 59% in Inner Sunset. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Castro more walkable than Inner Sunset?
Castro wins the errand count (walk 20 vs 13). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 15. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Castro or Inner Sunset?
Inner Sunset is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 21). Combined rate 11.1 vs 40.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Castro or Inner Sunset?
Inner Sunset leads the school axis (90 vs 53). Nearby rating is 8.5 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 40 vs 43.4. Castro has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
28 minutes from Castro to FiDi, 33 from Inner Sunset. Castro is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Castro or Inner Sunset: Haight-Ashbury. The Haight is the brand; the Panhandle is the commute. Still walkable, still loud on weekends, still next to the park.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.