San Francisco/Compare
Hayes Valley vs Nob Hill
Hayes Valley and Nob Hill are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Nob Hill is the calmer Part I map (37 vs 16). Nob Hill wins the errand count. Nob Hill has the lower ACS median ($2,106).
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 | Hayes Valley | Nob Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 16 | 37 |
| Schools | 40 | 23 |
| Walk | 17 | 73 |
| Cost fit | 95 | 100 |
| Vibe | 21 | 48 |
| Median rent | $2,636 | $2,106 |
| Median home | $1,156,018 | $1,225,172 |
| Population | 18,871 | 23,536 |
| Commute to FiDi | 14 min | 13 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 14 min | 21 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 21 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Hayes Valley | Nob Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 83% | 87% |
| Median age | 35 | 40.1 |
| Median income | $131K | $100K |
| Part I per 1k | 41.1 | 35.9 |
| Groceries / 800m | 24 | 59 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 83 | 188 |
| Parks / 800m | 40 | 31 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,356 | 1,415 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Hayes is 6% above the 2024 city median. Nob is 15% below 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 Hayes Valley if the school rating nearby is the point. Schools score 40 vs 23. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Nob Hill if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 73 vs 17. Vibe is 48 vs 21. ACS median rent is $2,106 vs $2,636. Read both pages before you decide.
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
Nob Hill
Cable cars, hotel bars, and a ridge between Chinatown and Pac Heights. Dense without SoMa's warehouse scale.
$2,106 median rent · safety 37 · walk 73
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Hayes Valley or Nob Hill?
Nob Hill is the lower ACS median: $2,636 vs $2,106. About 87% rent in Nob Hill vs 83% in Hayes Valley. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Hayes Valley more walkable than Nob Hill?
Nob Hill wins the errand count (walk 17 vs 73). Groceries inside 800 meters: 24 vs 59. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Hayes Valley or Nob Hill?
Nob Hill is the calmer Part I read (37 vs 16). Combined rate 35.9 vs 41.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Hayes Valley or Nob Hill?
Hayes Valley leads the school axis (40 vs 23). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.5 / 10. Median age 35 vs 40.1. Nob Hill has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
14 minutes from Hayes Valley to FiDi, 13 from Nob Hill. Nob Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Hayes Valley or Nob Hill: FiDi / South Beach. Towers, the Embarcadero, and a ballpark on the south edge. Official name is Financial District/South Beach — search FiDi.
Hayes Valley vs FiDi / South BeachNob Hill vs FiDi / South Beach
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.