San Francisco, CA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About San Francisco Crime

Is San Francisco safe?

San Francisco earns a city-wide Safety Rating of B (Safe) when neighborhood grades are aggregated across all 34 analyzed districts. Exactly 82% of neighborhoods carry an A or B grade, meaning the vast majority of the city's residential fabric is considered safe by crime-mapping standards. Only one neighborhood (2.9%) lands in the D range, and no neighborhood receives an F. Standout safe areas include Glen Park (A), West of Twin Peaks (A), The Marina (A), and Presidio Heights (A). Elevated caution is warranted in Chinatown (D) and Downtown / Civic Center (C-), which together anchor the lower end of the city's safety spectrum. The overall city-wide crime grade of C- reflects those high-density commercial corridors pulling the aggregate down, even as most residential neighborhoods perform well.

What percentage of San Francisco neighborhoods are high-crime?

Of the 34 neighborhoods analyzed, only 1 neighborhood (2.9%) grades D — specifically Chinatown — and zero neighborhoods receive an F. That means fewer than 3% of analyzed neighborhoods fall into the higher-crime tier. By contrast, 44.1% of neighborhoods earn an A and 38.2% earn a B, combining for an 82% safe-neighborhood rate. The remaining 14.7% of neighborhoods grade C, a middle tier that includes Financial District (C), Nob Hill (C+), and North Beach (C+). This distribution suggests that while pockets of concern exist — particularly in the dense downtown core — most of San Francisco's neighborhoods maintain a solid safety profile.

What are the safest neighborhoods in San Francisco?

The top-rated neighborhoods by crime grade in San Francisco are:

• Glen Park — A: Population ~6,837; median household income $128,177. A quiet, residential enclave with consistently low crime activity.
• West of Twin Peaks — A: Population ~22,608; median household income $177,432 — the highest of any neighborhood in this analysis. Its elevated income and lower density contribute to its strong A grade.
• Presidio Heights — A: Population ~8,812; median household income $142,860. One of the city's most affluent and safest corridors.
• The Marina — A: Population ~21,760; median household income $138,045. A large, vibrant neighborhood that still maintains an A safety grade.
• Crocker Amazon — A: Population ~12,995; median household income $89,575. Notably, it achieves a top grade at a more moderate income level, making it one of the most accessible safe neighborhoods.

Which San Francisco neighborhoods have the most crime?

The neighborhoods with the lowest safety grades in San Francisco are concentrated in the city's dense urban core:

• Chinatown — D: The only neighborhood in the analysis to receive a D grade. Its extremely high population density and heavy tourist and commercial foot traffic contribute to elevated incident rates.
• Downtown / Civic Center — C-: The second-lowest grade in the city. This corridor is a known hotspot for property crime and quality-of-life incidents, reflecting challenges common to major urban civic centers nationwide.
• Financial District — C: A busy commercial hub that scores in the middle tier, with crime patterns typical of high-daytime-population business districts.
• Nob Hill — C+ and North Beach — C+: Both sit at the upper edge of the C tier, performing better than the downtown core but still trailing the city's predominantly A- and B-rated residential neighborhoods.

Is San Francisco a good place to live in 2026?

On key livability metrics, San Francisco presents a compelling but nuanced picture. The median household income of $119,136 significantly exceeds the national average, and the unemployment rate of 4.7% reflects a diversified, tech-driven economy. The poverty rate of 10.1% is relatively contained for a major metro, though the median home value of $1,155,760 and median rent of $2,010 make affordability a genuine barrier. From a safety standpoint, 82% of neighborhoods grade A or B, and families or professionals who settle in areas like Noe Valley, Glen Park, or West of Twin Peaks will find crime rates well below the city average. The overall city crime grade of C- is dragged lower by the downtown corridor, so neighborhood selection matters enormously. At a population density of 7,199 people per square mile, San Francisco is dense but highly walkable, and for those who can navigate the cost of living, the combination of career opportunity, culture, and predominantly safe residential neighborhoods makes it a strong choice in 2026.

How does neighborhood income correlate with safety grades in San Francisco?

The data across 34 San Francisco neighborhoods shows a clear — though not absolute — relationship between median household income and crime grade. The five neighborhoods with the highest incomes all carry A-range grades: West of Twin Peaks ($177,432, A), Pacific Heights ($165,483, A-), Presidio ($149,355, A), Noe Valley ($149,088, A-), and Presidio Heights ($142,860, A). However, income alone does not guarantee safety: Crocker Amazon earns an A grade with a median income of just $89,575, while Chinatown's D grade reflects structural factors — tourism density, commercial activity, and geography — beyond income alone. The city's overall median household income of $119,136 sits comfortably above the national median, yet the C- overall crime grade illustrates that citywide averages can mask significant variation between a quiet residential street in Glen Park and a busy block near Downtown / Civic Center.