There’s virtually no more expensive place to live in America than San Francisco. It carries the highest cost of living of any city. And it’s among the most expensive for real estate, utilities, groceries, transit and gas prices. And, it’s the most expensive city to raise a family. It also carries one of the highest average rents of any city. So, what about San Francisco rent prices.
For renters, San Francisco is only getting more expensive. Like everywhere else in the country, rent prices fell sharply during the dog days of the pandemic. But as it has elsewhere, rent prices are back to or exceeding prior levels as the nation returns to normal.
Below are the 10 neighborhoods in San Francisco where rent prices have increased the most since this time last year. The ranking comes from the listing for an average two-bedroom apartment.
10. Edgewater
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,652
- Rent change since 2021: +26%
Across the Channel from the primary section of Mission Bay is the micro hood of Edgewater. Primarily identifying with the trendy overlap region of SoMa, nearly all of Edgewater is the Edgewood luxury apartments. The five- and-six story development features nearly 200 units along Berry Street.
But Edgewater residents and neighborhood incomers can enjoy the beautiful views and amenities of the small district. Directly under the towering I-280 overpass is the stunning Mission Creek Park. Within the park are basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, UCSF Boathouse, a garden and dog park and a channelside promenade. And just on the other side of the channel is waterside Huffaker Park and its famous houseboats.
But secluded waterside living comes with a cost. Edgewater’s $4,652 a month rents for an average two-bedroom are the eighth highest in the city. That included a 26 percent increase year to year.
9. Presidio National Park
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,241
- Rent change since 2021: +29%
Of all the interesting places you thought to live, have you considered living in a National Park? While you can’t rent a condo in Yosemite or lease a loft in Mount Rushmore, there are a number of buildings and complexes in San Francisco’s Presidio National Park. In fact, The Presidio is the only National Recreation Area offering rental property.
Overall, the park offers 23 “neighborhoods” with apartments and homes for rent. Many offer buildings with views out over the Golden Gate Bridge. And several are adjacent to the popular Marina District. But most are within the northeastern neighborhood around Presidio Boulevard.
Much like any upscale suburban neighborhood, it offers many amenities, like restaurants, a movie theater, bowling lanes, doctors’ offices and even a Starbucks. But it also offers a lot of uniqueness. There are a number of museums and memorials, campgrounds, beaches, former military installations and, of course, direct access to the most famous bridge in America. It’s also home to George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic visual effects company.
To live in such a prestigious and unusual place will cost a few pressed pennies. An average two-bedroom apartment in The Presidio runs $4,241 monthly. That’s up nearly 30 percent from prices a year ago in San Francisco rent prices.
8. Northwest San Francisco
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,296
- Rent change since 2021: +32%
Collectively, the real estate region of Northwest San Francisco is one of the most desirable in the city. The large district covers most of the entire northern San Francisco Peninsula. It encompasses neighborhoods such as The Presidio, Marina District, Japantown, Haight-Ashbury, Pacific Heights and all of Golden Gate Park.
With such a massive stretch of real estate, Northwest San Francisco offers diversity and choice in where you can elect to rent. To live on the northern edge of the peninsula, a two-bedroom apartment leases for $4,296 a month on average. That’s up about a third from year to year.
7. North Beach
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,000
- Rent change since 2021: +33%
The borders of the North Beach neighborhood change depending on who you ask. But it’s predominantly the district a couple of blocks off the Bay at The Embarcadero, bounded by Russian and Telegraph Hills, Chinatown and the Financial District.
But “che figata”! North Beach is also San Francisco’s Little Italy. The European-vibe neighborhood is rife with trattorias, pizzerias, espresso cafés, bakeries and gelato shops along Columbus Avenue. Plus, Saints Peter and Paul Church, one of San Francisco’s most iconic churches.
North Beach is also one of San Francisco’s most historic counterculture districts. While Haight-Ashbury may lean more hippie, North Beach is far out beatnik. Celebrate Jack Kerouac at the Beat Museum, iconic City Lights bookstore and throwback bar Vesuvio Café.
No wonder North Beach was once named one of America’s greatest neighborhoods. An average two-bedroom apartment rents for four grand a month. That’s up a third from this time last year.
6. Lower Haight
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,600
- Rent change since 2021: +38%
Location, location, location. The eight-by-four block neighborhood of Lower Haight has all the right neighbors. Just to its west is the hippie history mecca of Haight-Ashbury. Only two blocks north is Alamo Square Park, home of the famous Painted Ladies homes (made famous in the opening to “Full House”). And lying south is the historic LGBTQ+ mecca of Castro District. The neighborhood vibe is “grungy, post-punk bohemian.”
But for its diminutive size, Lower Haight, has plenty on its own. It’s more residential than its more famous neighbor, but still offers plenty of style. During the day, locals and tourists peruse record stores, art galleries and salons that line Haight Street. Come nighttime, casual restaurants, cafés, bars and clubs come alive. It’s also home to San Francisco’s U.S. Mint.
The district has a number of ornate painted lady-style Victorian and Edwardian homes that aren’t found down the street in Haight-Ashbury. Rents in Lower Haight are also lower. A two-bedroom rental runs $4,600 a month on average. That’s up 38 percent from this time last year.
5. Bayview
- Average 2-BR rent: $2,800
- Rent change since 2021: +40%
Welcome to “San Francisco’s Most Isolated Neighborhood.” Bayview, along with its sister neighborhood Hunter’s Point, covers a small piece of land jutting out from southeast San Francisco. I-280 and the 101 cut off Bayview from the rest of the city, pinned against the Bay at South Basin.
What that means for residents is a relatively quiet existence away from the bustle. It wasn’t always this way, however. Adjacent to Bayview is the former site of Candlestick Park, the past home of the Giants and 49ers. Bayview itself is nearly entirely residential with some light industry. There are very few commercial businesses, mostly limited to cafés, pizzerias and soul food joints along 3rd Street.
The most striking advantage to living in such an isolated district is the unusually cheap San Francisco rent prices. An average two-bedroom apartment will run just $2,800 a month. And that shocking figure is even after a 40 percent hike from a year ago. That makes Bayview the cheapest neighborhood in San Francisco.
Bayview has long been a historically Black neighborhood. At its peak, two-thirds of Bayview residents were black. Today, Blacks make up over a third of the population, the highest percentage in any city neighborhood. The district is home to a number of Black cultural organizations, from art to dance to music. The Bayview Opera House helped launch careers for actors like Danny Glover. And neighborhood music clubs hosted early appearances from acts like Ike and Tina Turner. Many murals featuring notable Black heroes and corridors flying Pan-African flags are throughout Bayview.
4. Northeast San Francisco
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,393
- Rent change since 2021: +42%
The real estate named district of Northeast San Francisco covers a lot of land. It runs along The Embarcadero from Fisherman’s Wharf all the way down to the Port of San Francisco. It then forms a full triangle inland to the intersection of Market and Van Ness. That’s a lot of real estate. This large region includes prominent neighborhoods like North Beach, Tenderloin, Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Chinatown and all of Downtown.
That’s a lot of ground to cover. With such a large region, there’s also a large diversity of streets and blocks with many styles of rental housing. But overall, within Northeast San Francisco, rents for a two-bedroom apartment average $4,393 monthly. That’s up 42 percent from a year prior.
In so much space in such a popular location, there’s so much to do for residents anywhere in Northeast San Francisco. It includes many of San Francisco’s most famous buildings including Colt Tower, Transamerica Pyramid, City Hall and The Sentinel. It’s also where you’ll find Lombard Street, Union Square, the Theater District, Pier 39 and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
3. Lower Nob Hill
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,393
- Rent change since 2021: +44%
There’s a small boutique neighborhood at the bottom of Nob Hill appropriately named Lower Nob Hill. It’s both to Nob Hill’s south and indeed downhill from it. Abutting Tenderloin, the district is often referred to as Tendernob.
As opposed to its fashionable uphill neighbor, Lower Nob Hill is a bit more diverse and more chill. Its busiest district is the southeast corner that abuts popular Union Square. The area features a number of big brand stores and hotels. International cuisine spots, buzzy bars and century-old apartment buildings fan out up Powell and Geary Streets.
Entertainment venues in the district include The Masonic, Alcazar Theater, San Francisco Playhouse, Custom Made Theater and Unscripted Theater. The 30-square block area also features the San Francisco Art Exchange and several buildings of the Academy of Art University.
Living close to so much will run your rent prices up. On average, a two-bedroom unit leases for $4,393 a month. That’s up 44 percent in the last 12 months.
2. Dogpatch
- Average 2-BR rent: $4,536
- Rent change since 2021: +49%
If you’re into upscale urban industrial design apartments built out of gritty ship houses, Dogpatch is perfect for you. For a century, Dogpatch was a busy dock and shipping port. But as the new millennium dawned, light redevelopment came to the neighborhood. Today, about half of Dogpatch remains industrial yardage and half has become pricey upper-middle-class rentals and warehouse lofts.
Part of the status of Dogpatch lies in its location. Directly west is Potrero Nuevo, a trendy district of which it was a part of. The neighborhood sits straight south of popular Mission Bay, adjacent to its medical complex. That puts the Giants’ AT&T Park and Warriors’ Chase Center just a short walk away. And Dogpatch joins the Bay at Crane Cove Park, a former industrial site with a beach and gorgeous views. Third Street is home to a number of brunch spots, two breweries and the Museum of Craft and Design gallery.
However, Dogpatch experienced the biggest increase in waterfront San Francisco rent prices. An average two-bedroom runs $4,536. That’s a nearly 50 percent jump from a year ago as more people discover the secluded district.
1. Nob Hill
- Average 2-BR rent: $5,995
- Rent change since 2021: +111%
Eight blocks by eight blocks between the 101 and Chinatown. Just over 376 feet above sea level at its apex. Generally unassuming, Nob Hill is the height (no pun intended) of the upper class living in San Francisco. It’s a mix of young tech influencers, finance professionals and well-to-do Chinese nationals. But the one thing they all have in common is affluence. Because to live in Nob Hill, you’ll need it.
Nob Hill is the most expensive rental neighborhood in San Francisco overall. The rent for an average two-bedroom tops out at nearly six grand a month. And over the last 12 months, it solidified its place as one of the most expensive neighborhoods in America. Rents in the district have skyrocketed 111 percent. That’s 62 percentage points higher than the second-largest increase.
But all that money sure puts you in the lap of luxury. Nob Hill has many five-star restaurants, art galleries, historic landmarks and luxury mansions. Lavish hotels and high-end apartments tower over Jones Street with views to the Bay in one direction and Downtown in the other. Popular tourist spots include grand Huntington Park, Grace Cathedral and the Cable Car Museum. And of course, the cable cars ride right up the hill along Powell Street.
Find an apartment in San Francisco
In many neighborhoods, particularly the ones above, San Francisco rent prices certainly put a strain on the wallet. But fret none if you’re moving to the Bay Area. Even in a city as expensive as San Francisco, there are always affordable places that meet any lifestyle and any budget. Explore all the neighborhoods in San Francisco right now on rent.com.
