San Francisco/Compare
Castro vs Potrero Hill
Castro and Potrero Hill are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Potrero Hill is the calmer Part I map (58 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 | Potrero Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 21 | 58 |
| Schools | 53 | 57 |
| Walk | 20 | 7 |
| Cost fit | 90 | 74 |
| Vibe | 14 | 8 |
| Median rent | $2,763 | $3,376 |
| Median home | $1,662,097 | $1,530,280 |
| Population | 21,944 | 16,013 |
| Commute to FiDi | 28 min | 32 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 22 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 21 min | 13 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Castro | Potrero Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 56% | 57% |
| Median age | 43.4 | 35.2 |
| Median income | $213K | $223K |
| Part I per 1k | 40.6 | 31.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 11 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 135 | 91 |
| Parks / 800m | 43 | 39 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,080 | 412 |
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. 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 Castro if the rent gap is the point and you want the errands on foot. ACS median rent is $2,763 vs $3,376. Walk is 20 vs 7. Vibe is 14 vs 8. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Potrero Hill if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. Safety is 58 vs 21. Potrero Hill 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
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, Castro or Potrero Hill?
Castro is the lower ACS median: $2,763 vs $3,376. About 56% rent in Castro vs 57% in Potrero Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Castro more walkable than Potrero Hill?
Castro wins the errand count (walk 20 vs 7). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 11. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Castro or Potrero Hill?
Potrero Hill is the calmer Part I read (58 vs 21). Combined rate 31.2 vs 40.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Castro or Potrero Hill?
Potrero Hill leads the school axis (57 vs 53). Nearby rating is 7.5 / 10 vs 7.4 / 10. Median age 35.2 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, 32 from Potrero Hill. Castro is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Castro or Potrero Hill: 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.