San Francisco/Compare
Inner Sunset vs Pacific Heights
Inner Sunset and Pacific Heights are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Inner Sunset is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 47). Inner Sunset wins the errand count. Inner Sunset has the lower ACS median ($2,916).
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 | Inner Sunset | Pacific Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 95 | 47 |
| Schools | 90 | 87 |
| Walk | 13 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 86 | 82 |
| Vibe | 9 | 8 |
| Median rent | $2,916 | $3,040 |
| Median home | $1,680,328 | $1,787,490 |
| Population | 27,144 | 22,821 |
| Commute to FiDi | 33 min | 22 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 32 min | 28 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 34 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Inner Sunset | Pacific Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 59% | 70% |
| Median age | 40 | 38.4 |
| Median income | $168K | $183K |
| Part I per 1k | 11.1 | 33.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 123 | 101 |
| Parks / 800m | 25 | 17 |
| 311 last 14 days | 644 | 634 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. I Sun is 18% above the 2024 city median. Pac Hts is 23% 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 Inner Sunset if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 95 vs 47. Walk is 13 vs 5. ACS median rent is $2,916 vs $3,040. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Pacific Heights if the shorter ride to FiDi is the point. 22 vs 33 minutes to FiDi. Read both pages before you decide.
Inner Sunset
Ninth Avenue, UCSF up the hill, and Cole Valley on the eastern edge. The walkable west side.
$2,916 median rent · safety 95 · walk 13
Pacific Heights
Victorians on the hill and Fillmore shops at the bottom. The view is the product; the stairs are the tax.
$3,040 median rent · safety 47 · walk 5
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Inner Sunset or Pacific Heights?
Inner Sunset is the lower ACS median: $2,916 vs $3,040. About 59% rent in Inner Sunset vs 70% in Pacific Heights. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Inner Sunset more walkable than Pacific Heights?
Inner Sunset wins the errand count (walk 13 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Inner Sunset or Pacific Heights?
Inner Sunset is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 47). Combined rate 11.1 vs 33.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Inner Sunset or Pacific Heights?
Inner Sunset leads the school axis (90 vs 87). Nearby rating is 8.5 / 10 vs 8.4 / 10. Median age 40 vs 38.4. Pacific Heights has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
33 minutes from Inner Sunset to FiDi, 22 from Pacific Heights. Pacific Heights is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Inner Sunset or Pacific Heights: Haight-Ashbury. The Haight is the brand; the Panhandle is the commute. Still walkable, still loud on weekends, still next to the park.
Inner Sunset vs Haight-AshburyPacific Heights vs Haight-Ashbury
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.