San Francisco/Compare
Mission vs Mission Bay
Mission and Mission Bay are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Mission Bay is the calmer Part I map (63 vs 11). Mission wins the errand count. Mission has the lower ACS median ($2,494).
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 | Mission Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 63 |
| Schools | 27 | 40 |
| Walk | 86 | 0 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 72 |
| Vibe | 61 | 12 |
| Median rent | $2,494 | $3,485 |
| Median home | $1,326,451 | $1,190,373 |
| Population | 55,114 | 17,598 |
| Commute to FiDi | 22 min | 24 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 14 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 13 min | 6 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Mission | Mission Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 72% | 66% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 33.9 |
| Median income | $146K | $198K |
| Part I per 1k | 47.9 | 29.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 83 | 2 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 158 | 80 |
| Parks / 800m | 48 | 36 |
| 311 last 14 days | 5,705 | 437 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Mission is 1% above the 2024 city median. Msn Bay is 41% 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 Mission if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 86 vs 0. Vibe is 61 vs 12. ACS median rent is $2,494 vs $3,485. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Mission Bay if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 63 vs 11. Schools score 40 vs 27. Read both pages before you decide.
Mission
Valencia corridor, Mission murals, and a density that never sleeps. The official analysis neighborhood is just Mission — search the street names.
$2,494 median rent · safety 11 · walk 86
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
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Mission or Mission Bay?
Mission is the lower ACS median: $2,494 vs $3,485. About 72% rent in Mission vs 66% in Mission Bay. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Mission more walkable than Mission Bay?
Mission wins the errand count (walk 86 vs 0). Groceries inside 800 meters: 83 vs 2. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Mission or Mission Bay?
Mission Bay is the calmer Part I read (63 vs 11). Combined rate 29.1 vs 47.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Mission or Mission Bay?
Mission Bay leads the school axis (40 vs 27). Nearby rating is 7.0 / 10 vs 6.6 / 10. Median age 33.9 vs 38.1. Mission has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
22 minutes from Mission to FiDi, 24 from Mission Bay. Mission is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Mission or Mission Bay: South of Market. Tech lofts, clubs, and a crime rate that downtown visitor traffic inflates. Walk scores max; evening quiet depends on the block.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.