San Francisco/Compare
Mission Bay vs South of Market
Mission Bay and South of Market are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Mission Bay is the calmer Part I map (63 vs 0). South of Market 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.
| Axis | Mission Bay | South of Market |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 63 | 0 |
| Schools | 40 | 0 |
| Walk | 0 | 24 |
| Cost fit | 72 | 100 |
| Vibe | 12 | 25 |
| Median rent | $3,485 | $2,100 |
| Median home | $1,190,373 | $912,403 |
| Population | 17,598 | 25,795 |
| Commute to FiDi | 24 min | 15 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 14 min | 6 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 6 min | 14 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Mission Bay | South of Market |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 66% | 80% |
| Median age | 33.9 | 40.8 |
| Median income | $198K | $112K |
| Part I per 1k | 29.1 | 106.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 2 | 22 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 80 | 116 |
| Parks / 800m | 36 | 44 |
| 311 last 14 days | 437 | 1,931 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Msn Bay is 41% above the 2024 city median. SoMa 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 Mission Bay if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 63 vs 0. Schools score 40 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick South of Market if the rent gap is the point and you want the cafes and the night. ACS median rent is $2,100 vs $3,485. Vibe is 25 vs 12. Walk is 24 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.
Mission Bay
UCSF, new towers, and a shoreline that did not exist a generation ago. Planned more than discovered.
$3,485 median rent · safety 63 · walk 0
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, Mission Bay or South of Market?
South of Market is the lower ACS median: $3,485 vs $2,100. About 80% rent in South of Market vs 66% in Mission Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Mission Bay more walkable than South of Market?
South of Market wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 24). Groceries inside 800 meters: 2 vs 22. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Mission Bay or South of Market?
Mission Bay is the calmer Part I read (63 vs 0). Combined rate 29.1 vs 106.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Mission Bay or South of Market?
Mission Bay leads the school axis (40 vs 0). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 5.8 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 40.8. South of Market has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
24 minutes from Mission Bay to FiDi, 15 from South of Market. South of Market is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Mission Bay or South of Market: Mission. Valencia corridor, Mission murals, and a density that never sleeps. The official analysis neighborhood is just Mission — search the street names.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.