San Francisco/Compare
Pacific Heights vs Sunset / Parkside
Pacific Heights and Sunset / Parkside are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Sunset / Parkside is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 47). Sunset / Parkside wins the errand count. Sunset / Parkside has the lower ACS median ($2,803).
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 | Pacific Heights | Sunset / Parkside |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 100 |
| Schools | 87 | 60 |
| Walk | 5 | 66 |
| Cost fit | 82 | 89 |
| Vibe | 8 | 30 |
| Median rent | $3,040 | $2,803 |
| Median home | $1,787,490 | $1,464,661 |
| Population | 22,821 | 75,108 |
| Commute to FiDi | 22 min | 52 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 28 min | 49 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 35 min | 50 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Pacific Heights | Sunset / Parkside |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 70% | 35% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 45.4 |
| Median income | $183K | $149K |
| Part I per 1k | 33.8 | 9.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 13 | 31 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 101 | 265 |
| Parks / 800m | 17 | 58 |
| 311 last 14 days | 634 | 1,028 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. Pac Hts is 23% 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 Pacific Heights if the shorter ride to FiDi is the point and the school rating nearby is the point. 22 vs 52 minutes to FiDi. Schools score 87 vs 60. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Sunset / Parkside if you want the errands on foot and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Walk is 66 vs 5. Safety is 100 vs 47. Vibe is 30 vs 8. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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, Pacific Heights or Sunset / Parkside?
Sunset / Parkside is the lower ACS median: $3,040 vs $2,803. About 35% rent in Sunset / Parkside vs 70% in Pacific Heights. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Pacific Heights more walkable than Sunset / Parkside?
Sunset / Parkside wins the errand count (walk 5 vs 66). Groceries inside 800 meters: 13 vs 31. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Pacific Heights or Sunset / Parkside?
Sunset / Parkside is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 47). Combined rate 9.2 vs 33.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Pacific Heights or Sunset / Parkside?
Pacific Heights leads the school axis (87 vs 60). Nearby rating is 8.4 / 10 vs 7.6 / 10. Median age 38.4 vs 45.4. Sunset / Parkside has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
22 minutes from Pacific Heights to FiDi, 52 from Sunset / Parkside. Pacific Heights is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Pacific Heights or Sunset / Parkside: Western Addition. Alamo Square, the Fillmore, and Japantown sit inside this analysis neighborhood. Painted ladies are the postcard; the grid is the product.
Pacific Heights vs Western AdditionSunset / Parkside vs Western Addition
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.