City safety & data profile

South San FranciscoCA

South San Francisco, CA is a 67K-resident city in San Mateo County with a median household income of $136,578.

San Mateo County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for South San Francisco, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. South San Francisco has a population larger than 86% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $1,188,800, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

67K
Population
Top 14%
By size
$136,578
Median income
$1,188,800
Median home
6.7%
Poverty rate

The read on South San Francisco

South San Francisco posts a median household income higher than 89% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the South San Francisco area.

Top 11%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near South San Francisco

Where South San Francisco income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$136,578 Top 11% higher than 89% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading South San Francisco, CA beyond the headline numbers

South San Francisco sits inside San Mateo County, California, at roughly 37.65°N, -122.41°W. Population 67,271, $136,578 median household income. Median home value $1,188,800, median rent $2,802. Poverty rate 6.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: South San Francisco's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 30%, then high blood pressure at 28.9%. 1 hospital in/around South San Francisco, 4/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for South San Francisco from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
67,271
South San Francisco
Median Income
$136,578
+101% vs avg
Median Home Value
$1,188,800
+422% vs avg
Median Age
43.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (San Mateo County) - South San Francisco's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
742K+2%
Median Income
$158,855+80%
Median Home Value
$1,559,600+116%
Poverty Rate
6.7%-12%
Unemployment
4.8%-41%

Economics

Economics indicators for South San Francisco, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,802/mo
Poverty Rate
6.7% -53% vs avg
Unemployment 2.8%
Bachelor's Degree+ 40.8%
Work From Home 17.4%
Public Transit 5.5%

Population

White 23.7%
African American 1.6%
Asian 42.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
30%
High Blood Pressure
28.9%
Physical Inactivity
23.4%
Obesity
22.3%
Binge Drinking
13.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
13.6%
Diabetes
11.6%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
8.9%
Current Smoking
8.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 64.6%
Annual Checkup 70.4%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
8.2%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.1%
Stroke
2.8%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of South San Francisco, CA? ▼
South San Francisco, CA has a population of 67,271 people, located in San Mateo County, California.
What is the median household income in South San Francisco? ▼
The median household income in South San Francisco, CA is $136,578 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 6.7%.
What is the median home value in South San Francisco? ▼
The median home value in South San Francisco, CA is $1,188,800. Median rent is $2,802/month.
What are the top health concerns in South San Francisco? ▼
The top health indicators in South San Francisco include Short Sleep Duration (30%), High Blood Pressure (28.9%), Physical Inactivity (23.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in South San Francisco? ▼
South San Francisco has 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in South San Francisco? ▼
The median age in South San Francisco, CA is 43.2 years. 40.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

South San Francisco, CA is located in San Mateo County, California. With a population of 67K and a $136,578 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the South San Francisco area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - California

Real-time AQI for every monitored California location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

San Bruno, CA 43K Millbrae, CA 23K Visitacion Valley, CA 23K Daly City, CA 107K Bayview-Hunters Point, CA 35K Burlingame, CA 30K Hillsborough, CA 11K Pacifica, CA 39K
All cities in California → Compare South San Francisco vs San Bruno → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using South San Francisco's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the South San Francisco area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare South San Francisco against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (San Mateo County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.