San Francisco/Compare
Haight-Ashbury vs Hayes Valley
Haight-Ashbury and Hayes Valley are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Haight-Ashbury is the calmer Part I map (74 vs 16). Walk is a wash (13 vs 17). 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 | Haight-Ashbury | Hayes Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 74 | 16 |
| Schools | 47 | 40 |
| Walk | 13 | 17 |
| Cost fit | 83 | 95 |
| Vibe | 7 | 21 |
| Median rent | $3,027 | $2,636 |
| Median home | $1,763,844 | $1,156,018 |
| Population | 16,768 | 18,871 |
| Commute to FiDi | 24 min | 14 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 21 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 | Haight-Ashbury | Hayes Valley |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 71% | 83% |
| Median age | 34.7 | 35 |
| Median income | $198K | $131K |
| Part I per 1k | 23.2 | 41.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 19 | 24 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 107 | 83 |
| Parks / 800m | 22 | 40 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,027 | 1,356 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Haight is 22% 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 Haight-Ashbury if the quieter map matters more than the scene. Safety is 74 vs 16. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Hayes Valley if the rent gap is the point and you want the cafes and the night. ACS median rent is $2,636 vs $3,027. Vibe is 21 vs 7. 14 vs 24 minutes to FiDi. Read both pages before you decide.
Haight-Ashbury
The Haight is the brand; the Panhandle is the commute. Still walkable, still loud on weekends, still next to the park.
$3,027 median rent · safety 74 · walk 13
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, Haight-Ashbury or Hayes Valley?
Hayes Valley is the lower ACS median: $3,027 vs $2,636. About 83% rent in Hayes Valley vs 71% in Haight-Ashbury. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Haight-Ashbury more walkable than Hayes Valley?
Walk is basically a tie (13 vs 17). Count groceries if you care: 19 in Haight-Ashbury vs 24 in Hayes Valley, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Haight-Ashbury or Hayes Valley?
Haight-Ashbury is the calmer Part I read (74 vs 16). Combined rate 23.2 vs 41.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Haight-Ashbury or Hayes Valley?
Haight-Ashbury leads the school axis (47 vs 40). Nearby rating is 7.2 / 10 vs 7.0 / 10. Median age 34.7 vs 35. Hayes Valley has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
24 minutes from Haight-Ashbury to FiDi, 14 from Hayes Valley. Hayes Valley is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Haight-Ashbury or Hayes Valley: Castro. The Castro is the search term; Castro/Upper Market is the official polygon. Hills, neon, and a Muni metro under Market.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.