San Francisco/Compare
Russian Hill vs Western Addition
Russian Hill and Western Addition are two official analysis neighborhoods in San Francisco. Russian Hill is the calmer Part I map (53 vs 32). Walk is a wash (11 vs 15). Western Addition has the lower ACS median ($2,077).
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 | Russian Hill | Western Addition |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 53 | 32 |
| Schools | 67 | 33 |
| Walk | 11 | 15 |
| Cost fit | 90 | 100 |
| Vibe | 18 | 18 |
| Median rent | $2,788 | $2,077 |
| Median home | $1,422,991 | $1,013,697 |
| Population | 15,524 | 22,288 |
| Commute to FiDi | 20 min | 21 min |
| Commute to SoMa | 29 min | 23 min |
| Commute to Mission Bay | 38 min | 29 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Russian Hill | Western Addition |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 79% | 78% |
| Median age | 38.3 | 43.4 |
| Median income | $156K | $105K |
| Part I per 1k | 31.3 | 37.1 |
| Groceries / 800m | 10 | 20 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 97 | 97 |
| Parks / 800m | 50 | 48 |
| 311 last 14 days | 556 | 685 |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Francisco city. Up 62% since 2014. R Hill is 13% above the 2024 city median. W Add is 16% below 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 Russian Hill if the school rating nearby is the point and the quieter map matters more than the scene. Schools score 67 vs 33. Safety is 53 vs 32. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Western Addition if the rent gap is the point. ACS median rent is $2,077 vs $2,788. Read both pages before you decide.
Russian Hill
The crooked street is the postcard. The rest is steep walks, bay windows, and a quieter read of the north waterfront.
$2,788 median rent · safety 53 · walk 11
Western Addition
Alamo Square, the Fillmore, and Japantown sit inside this analysis neighborhood. Painted ladies are the postcard; the grid is the product.
$2,077 median rent · safety 32 · walk 15
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Russian Hill or Western Addition?
Western Addition is the lower ACS median: $2,788 vs $2,077. About 78% rent in Western Addition vs 79% in Russian Hill. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Russian Hill more walkable than Western Addition?
Walk is basically a tie (11 vs 15). Count groceries if you care: 10 in Russian Hill vs 20 in Western Addition, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Russian Hill or Western Addition?
Russian Hill is the calmer Part I read (53 vs 32). Combined rate 31.3 vs 37.1 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Russian Hill or Western Addition?
Russian Hill leads the school axis (67 vs 33). Nearby rating is 7.8 / 10 vs 6.8 / 10. Median age 38.3 vs 43.4. Western Addition has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to FiDi?
20 minutes from Russian Hill to FiDi, 21 from Western Addition. Russian Hill is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official analysis neighborhood that is not Russian Hill or Western Addition: Nob Hill. Cable cars, hotel bars, and a ridge between Chinatown and Pac Heights. Dense without SoMa's warehouse scale.
Scores are relative among official San Francisco analysis neighborhoods with the same editorial weights. Read the method.