San Francisco/Compare
North Beach vs Pacific Heights
North Beach and Pacific Heights are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Pacific Heights is the calmer Part I map (47 vs 42). North Beach wins the errand count. North Beach has the lower ACS median ($2,356).
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 | North Beach | Pacific Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 42 | 47 |
| Schools | 33 | 87 |
| Walk | 23 | 5 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 82 |
| Vibe | 31 | 8 |
| Median rent | $2,356 | $3,040 |
| Median home | $1,512,678 | $1,787,490 |
| Population | 11,136 | 22,821 |
| Commute to FiDi | 16 min | 22 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 27 min | 28 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 35 min | 35 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | North Beach | Pacific Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 81% | 70% |
| Median age | 40 | 38.4 |
| Median income | $125K | $183K |
| Part I per 1k | 35.7 | 33.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 13 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 120 | 101 |
| Parks / 800m | 48 | 17 |
| 311 last 14 days | 501 | 634 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. N Bch is 5% 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 North Beach if the rent gap is the point and you want the cafes and the night. ACS median rent is $2,356 vs $3,040. Vibe is 31 vs 8. Walk is 23 vs 5. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Pacific Heights if the school rating nearby is the point and you want the quieter, family-leaning read. Schools score 87 vs 33. Pacific Heights is tagged family on this map; North Beach is not. Read both pages before you decide.
North Beach
Caffe Trieste, Columbus Avenue, and Telegraph Hill stairs. Nightlife with a church bell still in earshot.
$2,356 median rent · safety 42 · walk 23
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, North Beach or Pacific Heights?
North Beach is the lower ACS median: $2,356 vs $3,040. About 81% rent in North Beach vs 70% in Pacific Heights. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is North Beach more walkable than Pacific Heights?
North Beach wins the errand count (walk 23 vs 5). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 13. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, North Beach or Pacific Heights?
Pacific Heights is the calmer Part I read (47 vs 42). Combined rate 33.8 vs 35.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, North Beach or Pacific Heights?
Pacific Heights leads the school axis (87 vs 33). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 38.4 vs 40. North Beach has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
16 minutes from North Beach to FiDi, 22 from Pacific Heights. North Beach is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not North Beach 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.