San Francisco/Compare
Mission vs Sunset / Parkside
Mission and Sunset / Parkside are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Sunset / Parkside is the calmer Part I map (100 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 | Sunset / Parkside |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 11 | 100 |
| Schools | 27 | 60 |
| Walk | 86 | 66 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 89 |
| Vibe | 61 | 30 |
| Median rent | $2,494 | $2,803 |
| Median home | $1,326,451 | $1,464,661 |
| Population | 55,114 | 75,108 |
| Commute to FiDi | 22 min | 52 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 14 min | 49 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 13 min | 50 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Mission | Sunset / Parkside |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 72% | 35% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 45.4 |
| Median income | $146K | $149K |
| Part I per 1k | 47.9 | 9.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 83 | 31 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 158 | 265 |
| Parks / 800m | 48 | 58 |
| 311 last 14 days | 5,705 | 1,028 |
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. Sunset is 13% 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 cafes and the night and the shorter ride to FiDi is the point. Vibe is 61 vs 30. 22 vs 52 minutes to FiDi. Walk is 86 vs 66. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Sunset / Parkside if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the school rating nearby is the point. Safety is 100 vs 11. Schools score 60 vs 27. Sunset / Parkside is tagged family on this map; Mission is not. 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
Sunset / Parkside
Fog, taraval, and the largest analysis neighborhood in this set. Family streets, ocean at the end of the grid.
$2,803 median rent · safety 100 · walk 66
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Mission or Sunset / Parkside?
Mission is the lower ACS median: $2,494 vs $2,803. About 72% rent in Mission vs 35% in Sunset / Parkside. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Mission more walkable than Sunset / Parkside?
Mission wins the errand count (walk 86 vs 66). Groceries inside 800 meters: 83 vs 31. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Mission or Sunset / Parkside?
Sunset / Parkside is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 11). Combined rate 9.2 vs 47.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Mission or Sunset / Parkside?
Sunset / Parkside leads the school axis (60 vs 27). Nearby rating is 7.6 / 10 vs 6.6 / 10. Median age 45.4 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, 52 from Sunset / Parkside. Mission is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Mission or Sunset / Parkside: 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.