San Francisco/Compare
Castro vs Noe Valley
Castro and Noe Valley are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Noe Valley is the calmer Part I map (68 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 | Noe Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 21 | 68 |
| Schools | 53 | 100 |
| Walk | 20 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 90 | 76 |
| Vibe | 14 | 0 |
| Median rent | $2,763 | $3,308 |
| Median home | $1,662,097 | $1,951,224 |
| Population | 21,944 | 22,602 |
| Commute to FiDi | 28 min | 35 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 22 min | 27 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 21 min | 22 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Castro | Noe Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 56% | 53% |
| Median age | 43.4 | 39.6 |
| Median income | $213K | $215K |
| Part I per 1k | 40.6 | 24.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 10 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 135 | 121 |
| Parks / 800m | 43 | 16 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,080 | 636 |
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. Noe is 34% 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 the rent gap is the point and you want the cafes and the night. ACS median rent is $2,763 vs $3,308. Vibe is 14 vs 0. Walk is 20 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Noe Valley if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 68 vs 21. Schools score 100 vs 53. Noe Valley 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
Noe Valley
Strollers on 24th, sun on the south slope, and the lowest violent rate in this set. The family read of inner SF.
$3,308 median rent · safety 68 · walk 5
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Castro or Noe Valley?
Castro is the lower ACS median: $2,763 vs $3,308. About 56% rent in Castro vs 53% in Noe Valley. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Castro more walkable than Noe Valley?
Castro wins the errand count (walk 20 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 10. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Castro or Noe Valley?
Noe Valley is the calmer Part I read (68 vs 21). Combined rate 24.2 vs 40.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Castro or Noe Valley?
Noe Valley leads the school axis (100 vs 53). Nearby rating is 8.8 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 39.6 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, 35 from Noe Valley. Castro is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Castro or Noe Valley: 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.