Mercer Island, WA vs San Francisco, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Mercer Island

64.9

#1667 nationally

vs

San Francisco

62.9

#1817 nationally

San Francisco leads in walk score (89 vs 33). Mercer Island leads in median household income ($190,985 vs $136,689). San Francisco leads in cost of living index (195 vs 264).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Mercer Island, WA San Francisco, CA
WhereAtHome Score 64.9 (#1667) 62.9 (#1817)
Population 24,742 808,437
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $2,295,406 $1,416,278
Median Household Income $190,985 $136,689
Average Commute 27 min 33.4 min
Walk Score 33 89
Crime Level 1.0 Moderate-High
School Rating N/A 6.5
Cost of Living Index 264 195
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+51.7 D+64.8