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San Francisco/Compare

FiDi / South Beach vs South of Market

FiDi / South Beach and South of Market are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. FiDi / South Beach is the calmer Part I map (5 vs 0). FiDi / South Beach wins the errand count. South of Market has the lower ACS median ($2,100).

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.

AxisFiDi / South BeachSouth of Market
Safety50
Schools130
Walk10024
Cost fit79100
Vibe10025
Median rent$3,160$2,100
Median home$1,409,680$912,403
Population21,00925,795
Commute to FiDi6 min15 min
Commute to SoMa15 min6 min
Commute to Mission Bay24 min14 min

Living numbers

Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.

FactFiDi / South BeachSouth of Market
Renters68%80%
Median age36.640.8
Median income$184K$112K
Part I per 1k67.3106.8
Groceries / 800m1822
Transit stops / 800m267116
Parks / 800m12144
311 last 14 days9701,931

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. SoMa is 15% below the 2024 city median.

$1.8kFiDi $3,160SoMa $2,100201420162018202020222024

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 24. Vibe is 100 vs 25. Schools score 13 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.

Pick South of Market if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $2,100 vs $3,160. 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

South of Market

Tech lofts, clubs, and a crime rate that downtown visitor traffic inflates. Walk scores max; evening quiet depends on the block.

$2,100 median rent · safety 0 · walk 24

Common questions

Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.

Which is cheaper, FiDi / South Beach or South of Market?

South of Market is the lower ACS median: $3,160 vs $2,100. About 80% rent in South of Market vs 68% in FiDi / South Beach. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.

Is FiDi / South Beach more walkable than South of Market?

FiDi / South Beach wins the errand count (walk 100 vs 24). Groceries inside 800 meters: 18 vs 22. Not a Walk Score license.

Which is safer on this map, FiDi / South Beach or South of Market?

FiDi / South Beach is the calmer Part I read (5 vs 0). Combined rate 67.3 vs 106.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.

Which scores higher for families, FiDi / South Beach or South of Market?

FiDi / South Beach leads the school axis (13 vs 0). Nearby rating is 6.2 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 36.6 vs 40.8. South of Market 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, 15 from South of Market. 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 South of Market: Nob Hill. Cable cars, hotel bars, and a ridge between Chinatown and Pac Heights. Dense without SoMa's warehouse scale.

FiDi / South Beach vs Nob HillSouth of Market vs Nob Hill

Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.