San Francisco, CA vs San Jose, 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.

San Francisco

62.9

#1817 nationally

vs

San Jose

63

#1807 nationally

San Francisco leads in walk score (89 vs 51). San Jose leads in average commute (28.4 min vs 33.4 min). San Jose leads in school rating (7.2 vs 6.5).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA
WhereAtHome Score 62.9 (#1817) 63 (#1807)
Population 808,437 983,489
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $1,416,278 $1,391,204
Median Household Income $136,689 $142,891
Average Commute 33.4 min 28.4 min
Walk Score 89 51
Crime Level Moderate-High Moderate
School Rating 6.5 7.2
Cost of Living Index 195 198
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+64.8 D+40.0