San Francisco/Compare
FiDi / South Beach vs Hayes Valley
FiDi / South Beach and Hayes Valley are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Hayes Valley is the calmer Part I map (16 vs 5). FiDi / South Beach wins the errand count. Hayes Valley has the lower ACS median ($2,636).
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 | FiDi / South Beach | Hayes Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 5 | 16 |
| Schools | 13 | 40 |
| Walk | 100 | 17 |
| Cost fit | 79 | 95 |
| Vibe | 100 | 21 |
| Median rent | $3,160 | $2,636 |
| Median home | $1,409,680 | $1,156,018 |
| Population | 21,009 | 18,871 |
| Commute to FiDi | 6 min | 14 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 15 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 24 min | 21 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | FiDi / South Beach | Hayes Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 68% | 83% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 35 |
| Median income | $184K | $131K |
| Part I per 1k | 67.3 | 41.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 18 | 24 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 267 | 83 |
| Parks / 800m | 121 | 40 |
| 311 last 14 days | 970 | 1,356 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. FiDi is 28% above the 2024 city median. Hayes is 6% 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 FiDi / South Beach if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 100 vs 17. Vibe is 100 vs 21. 6 vs 14 minutes to FiDi. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Hayes Valley if the school rating nearby is the point and the rent gap is the point. Schools score 40 vs 13. ACS median rent is $2,636 vs $3,160. Safety is 16 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
FiDi / South Beach
Towers, the Embarcadero, and a ballpark on the south edge. Official name is Financial District/South Beach — search FiDi.
$3,160 median rent · safety 5 · walk 100
Hayes Valley
The freeway came down; the boutiques stayed. A compact walk to the opera without living on the Tenderloin edge.
$2,636 median rent · safety 16 · walk 17
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, FiDi / South Beach or Hayes Valley?
Hayes Valley is the lower ACS median: $3,160 vs $2,636. About 83% rent in Hayes Valley vs 68% in FiDi / South Beach. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is FiDi / South Beach more walkable than Hayes Valley?
FiDi / South Beach wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 17). Groceries inside 800 meters: 18 vs 24. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, FiDi / South Beach or Hayes Valley?
Hayes Valley is the calmer Part I read (16 vs 5). Combined rate 41.1 vs 67.3 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, FiDi / South Beach or Hayes Valley?
Hayes Valley leads the school axis (40 vs 13). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.2 / 10. Median age 35 vs 36.6. FiDi / South Beach has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
6 minutes from FiDi / South Beach to FiDi, 14 from Hayes Valley. FiDi / South Beach is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not FiDi / South Beach or Hayes Valley: Nob Hill. Cable cars, hotel bars, and a ridge between Chinatown and Pac Heights. Dense without SoMa's warehouse scale.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.