San Francisco/Compare
Nob Hill vs Pacific Heights
Nob Hill and Pacific Heights are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Pacific Heights is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 37). 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 | Nob Hill | Pacific Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 37 | 47 |
| Schools | 23 | 87 |
| Walk | 73 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 82 |
| Vibe | 48 | 8 |
| Median rent | $2,106 | $3,040 |
| Median home | $1,225,172 | $1,787,490 |
| Population | 23,536 | 22,821 |
| Commute to FiDi | 13 min | 22 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 21 min | 28 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 29 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Nob Hill | Pacific Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 87% | 70% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 38.4 |
| Median income | $100K | $183K |
| Part I per 1k | 35.9 | 33.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 59 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 188 | 101 |
| Parks / 800m | 31 | 17 |
| 311 last 14 days | 1,415 | 634 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Nob is 15% below 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 Nob Hill if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 73 vs 5. Vibe is 48 vs 8. ACS median rent is $2,106 vs $3,040. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Pacific Heights if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 87 vs 23. Safety is 47 vs 37. Pacific Heights is tagged family on this map; Nob Hill is not. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Nob Hill or Pacific Heights?
Nob Hill is the lower ACS median: $2,106 vs $3,040. About 87% rent in Nob Hill vs 70% in Pacific Heights. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Nob Hill more walkable than Pacific Heights?
Nob Hill wins the errand count (walk 73 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 59 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Nob Hill or Pacific Heights?
Pacific Heights is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 37). Combined rate 33.8 vs 35.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Nob Hill or Pacific Heights?
Pacific Heights leads the school axis (87 vs 23). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 6.5 / 10. Median age 38.4 vs 40.1. Nob Hill has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
13 minutes from Nob Hill to FiDi, 22 from Pacific Heights. Nob Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Nob Hill or Pacific Heights: Russian Hill. The crooked street is the postcard. The rest is steep walks, bay windows, and a quieter read of the north waterfront.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.