San Francisco vs Seattle
Side-by-side comparison of San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.
Population
Population
Population
828K
Population
781K
Median Age
Median Age
40 yrs
Median Age
37.4 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
Economics
Median Household Income
Median Household Income
$140,970
Median Household Income
$124,746
Median Home Value
Median Home Value
$1,394,500
Median Home Value
$859,900
Median Rent
Median Rent
$2,476
Median Rent
$2,092
Poverty Rate
Poverty Rate
11.2%
Poverty Rate
8.6%
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
6.1%
Unemployment Rate
4.8%
10-Year Income Growth
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
Education & Work
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
60.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
56.7%
Work From Home
Work From Home
31%
Work From Home
29.2%
Public Transit
Public Transit
18.7%
Public Transit
6.8%
Health (CDC PLACES)
Frequent Mental Distress
Frequent Mental Distress
13.8%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.7%
Obesity
Obesity
17.2%
Obesity
22.6%
Physical Inactivity
Physical Inactivity
19.2%
Physical Inactivity
13.9%
Smoking
Smoking
8.8%
Smoking
7.2%
Lack of Health Insurance
Lack of Health Insurance
6.3%
Lack of Health Insurance
6.8%
Healthcare
Hospitals
Hospitals
13
Hospitals
20
Avg Hospital Rating
Avg Hospital Rating
3.3/5
Avg Hospital Rating
3.4/5
Demographics
San Francisco Population
White 39.1%
African American 5%
Asian 35.2%
Two or More Races 4.5%
Seattle Population
White 54.7%
African American 6.6%
Asian 20.7%
Two or More Races 7%
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Data Sources
Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-year estimates). Health data from the CDC PLACES (2023). Hospital data from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020). Cost of living from BEA Regional Price Parities via FRED.