NabeWise

San Francisco/North Beach

42fit

North Beach

Official analysis neighborhood: North Beach

Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · SFPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026

Caffe Trieste, Columbus Avenue, and Telegraph Hill stairs. Nightlife with a church bell still in earshot.

telegraph hilllittle italy

Best in San Francisco for familiesWalkable San FranciscoUnder $2,500 rent

Why this score

Safety
42

58 violent · 340 property · 35.7 per 1k (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026)-8 vs city set

Schools
33

Rating 6.8 / 10 nearby-20 vs city set

Walk
23

OSM: 15 groceries · 37 cafes · 120 transit · 48 parks-3 vs city set

Cost
93

$2,356 ACS median vs your rent budget+13 vs city set

Vibe
31

OSM: 37 cafes · 143 restaurants · 38 bars · 48 parks+8 vs city set

Commute to work

From North Beach, a typical weekday is 16 min to FiDi, 27 min to SoMa, 35 min to Mission Bay. Not live traffic.

FiDi is the fastest of these three job centers from here.

FiDi
16 min

Embarcadero offices · -8 min vs the city-set median · fastest of these three

SoMa
27 min

Tech lofts · +4 min vs the city-set median

Mission Bay
35 min

UCSF, new offices · +8 min vs the city-set median

Minutes are baked from neighborhood geography to three job centers — not Google, not this hour’s traffic.

Cost of living

ACS median gross rent is $2,356 across all occupied rental units — studios through large apartments mixed together, not a live 1-bed or 2-bed quote.

That is 23% of median household income — under the 30% HUD cost-burden line. A household at this area’s median income ($125K) could “afford” about $3,132 a month at 30% of gross pay.

81% of households rent. Median home value is $1,512,678.

ACS median rent
$2,356
30% income budget
$3,132
Rent / income
23%
Median home
$1,512,678

Rent since 2014

ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. North Beach is 5% below the 2024 city median.

$1.4k$2.8kNorth Beach $2,356201420162018202020222024

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. The dashed mark is this area’s ACS 2024 median.

HUD treats 30% of gross household income as the cost-burden line. We do not split ACS median rent into 1-bed vs 2-bed — that table is all occupied rental units. Method.

Within a walk

Inside the official analysis neighborhood or within 800 meters of its centroid, OpenStreetMap maps 15 groceries, 37 cafes, 48 parks, and 120 transit stops.

Daily errands and coffee are realistic on foot. Parks are close — 48 mapped parks in that radius. Transit is dense (120 stops or stations).

37 cafes and 143 restaurants make this one of the busier food pockets in the San Francisco set.

Counts from OpenStreetMap, 800 m. Not a Walk Score license. Groceries here beat 9 of 19 other areas in this city set.

Population
11,136
Median age
40
Median income
$125K
Renters
81%
Bachelor+
63%
Violent / 1k
5.2
Property / 1k
30.5

ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · 5 census tracts · SFPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM 2026-09-01

NightlifeWaterfront

Crime is SFPD Part I reports per 1,000 ACS residents — not a judgment of who lives here. Home and rent figures are ACS medians, not live MLS. Read the method.

On the ground

What it is like to live here, beyond the scores.

North Beach is Caffe Trieste, Columbus Avenue, and Telegraph Hill stairs — nightlife with a church bell still in earshot. It remains one of the city’s most walkable neighborhoods in every 2026 roundup. Italian restaurants that are tourist traps sit next to ones that are not; you learn the difference in a week.

Washington Square is the living room. Coit Tower is the climb. Noise on Friday is the deal. Weight vibe and walk. Parking is a fantasy. Good for people who want a European-square fantasy that is actually a bus to downtown.

Compiled from Zillow neighborhood guides, 5280 Magazine, Chicago and San Francisco resident guides, Mpls With Love, Eastside LA reporting, and local coverage, 2025–2026. Editorial — not part of the fit score.

Common questions

Answers from the same ACS, crime, and OSM figures on this page.

Is North Beach safe?

On this map North Beach has a higher Part I rate than most San Francisco analysis neighborhoods in the set (safety 42 vs city 50). SFPD logged 5.2 violent and 30.5 property incidents per 1,000 ACS residents — 35.7 combined. Rates mix residents and visitors. They are not a judgment of who lives here.

What is rent in North Beach?

ACS median rent is $2,356. Median home value is $1,512,678. About 81% of households rent. These are survey medians, not this week's listings.

Is North Beach walkable?

Walk scores 23 here vs 26 for the San Francisco set — you will likely drive or ride for daily errands. OpenStreetMap counts within 800 meters: 15 groceries, 37 cafes, 120 transit stops, 48 parks.

Is North Beach good for families?

Nightlife and visitor traffic show up in the amenity mix — not the quietest family default. Nearby school rating is 6.8 / 10. Median age is 40.

How long is the commute from North Beach?

Typical weekday minutes to FiDi: 16. Not live traffic. Open the neighborhood page for the other job centers in San Francisco.

How many people live in North Beach?

About 11,136 residents, median income $125K, 63% with a bachelor's or higher. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · SFPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM.

What neighborhoods are next to North Beach?

Closest on this map: Russian Hill, Nob Hill, FiDi / South Beach. Compare North Beach vs Russian Hill if you are deciding between two official analysis neighborhoods.

Next door

Adjacent on the analysis neighborhood map, ranked with your weights.

North Beach vs Russian HillNorth Beach vs Nob HillNorth Beach vs FiDi / South Beach

71fit

FiDi / South Beach

$3K median rent

Towers, the Embarcadero, and a ballpark on the south edge. Official name is Financial District/South Beach — search FiDi.

NightlifePlannedWaterfrontWalk 100Safety 5
64fit

Nob Hill

$2K median rent

Cable cars, hotel bars, and a ridge between Chinatown and Pac Heights. Dense without SoMa's warehouse scale.

NightlifeWalk 73Safety 37
38fit

Russian Hill

$3K median rent

The crooked street is the postcard. The rest is steep walks, bay windows, and a quieter read of the north waterfront.

WaterfrontWalk 11Safety 53
33fit

Pacific Heights

$3K median rent

Victorians on the hill and Fillmore shops at the bottom. The view is the product; the stairs are the tax.

Family streetsWalk 5Safety 47
28fit

Marina

$3K median rent

Chestnut Street, the Palace of Fine Arts, and a bay that sells the neighborhood. Fog in the morning, crowds on the weekend.

NightlifeWaterfrontWalk 4Safety 26
MarinaPac HtsR HillN BchNobFiDiSoMaMsn BayHayesW AddHaightMissionCastroNoeBernalPotreroI RichO RichI SunSunsetPacificBayGG Park