Bedroom count
Property type
Last updated on May 16, 2026
Average rent in
San Francisco, CA
Average rent in
Last updated on May 16, 2026
Bedroom count
Property type
Key takeaways for renters
Where San Francisco rent stands today
San Francisco, CA rent rose 16.3% year over year, with a current median of $4,000/month. Renters are paying $536 more per month on average than last year, and the median rent has returned to the peak of $4,150/month reached this May.
Vs. national rents
San Francisco rents run roughly 2× the $1,950/month national median, placing it among the priciest major metros. The market is tight with 582 total rentals, reflecting a high-demand urban environment.
Rent ranges by bedroom
Studios in San Francisco run around $2,495/month, 1-bedrooms around $3,875/month, and 2-bedrooms around $5,395/month, with 3-bedrooms at $6,518/month and 4+ bedrooms at $8,150/month.
Neighborhood spotlight
Lake Street rents climbed 55.2% year over year to $5,000/month across 31 rentals, well above the citywide 16.3% rise. Meanwhile, the Financial District cooled with rents down 28.9% year over year to $960/month.
Median rent
Median rent in San Francisco
$4,000/mo
16%vs previous year
The average rent in San Francisco is $4,000 per month as of May 2026. This is 105% above the national average rent, or $2,050 more per month.
average price per square foot
Total rentals
Available rentals in San Francisco
582
for rent on Zumper.com as of May 2026
Rent price distribution
Share of San Francisco rentals at each price point
Rent trends in San Francisco, CA
Average rent prices in San Francisco have increased by 1% over the last month and have increased by 16% since last year.
Rent trends
Rent prices on this page are calculated on a rolling 30-day basis and updated daily.
Compare rent prices in
San Francisco, CA
Rent prices in San Francisco vary by bedroom size, rental type, and neighborhood. The average rent for an apartment in San Francisco is $3,995, whereas a house costs $4,197. 1-bedroom apartments in San Francisco run $3,995 on average, while 2-bedroom apartments are $5,400.
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Studio | $2,495 | 3% | 7% | |
1 bedroom | $3,875 | 2% | 15% | |
2 bedroom | $5,395 | 1% | 20% | |
3 bedroom | $6,517 | 3% | 21% | |
4 bedroom | $8,150 |  6% | 19% |
Listings | ||
|---|---|---|
Civic Center | $4,470 | |
Dogpatch | $4,490 | |
Downtown | $2,145 | |
Financial District | $960 | |
Hayes Valley | $4,410 | |
Mission | $3,875 | |
Pacific Heights | $4,550 | |
Soma | $4,622 | |
South Beach | $4,690 | |
Tenderloin | $1,795 |
Listings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apartments | $3,995 | 2% | No Change | |
Condos | $4,200 | 3% | No Change | |
Houses | $4,197 | 2% | No Change | |
Rooms | $1,300 | 30% | No Change |
Studio
Average rent
$2,495
Last 30 days
3%
Last year
7%
1 bedroom
Average rent
$3,875
Last 30 days
2%
Last year
15%
2 bedroom
Average rent
$5,395
Last 30 days
1%
Last year
20%
3 bedroom
Average rent
$6,517
Last 30 days
3%
Last year
21%
4 bedroom
Average rent
$8,150
Last 30 days
6%
Last year
19%
Soma
Average rent
$4,622
South Beach
Average rent
$4,690
Downtown
Average rent
$2,145
Civic Center
Average rent
$4,470
Dogpatch
Average rent
$4,490
Hayes Valley
Average rent
$4,410
Tenderloin
Average rent
$1,795
Mission
Average rent
$3,875
Pacific Heights
Average rent
$4,550
Financial District
Average rent
$960
Apartments
Average rent
$3,995
Last 30 days
2%
Condos
Average rent
$4,200
Last 30 days
3%
Houses
Average rent
$4,197
Last 30 days
2%
Rooms
Average rent
$1,300
Last 30 days
30%
The table above reflects average rent prices in San Francisco, CA, broken down by the number of bedrooms, neighborhoods, and property types. The availability of data for each category is dependent on market inventory and will adjust depending on your selected filters.
How does rent in San Francisco, CA compare to other cities?
Compare median rent prices in San Francisco and Alameda by all bedroom counts and property types.
San Francisco
105%higher than the national median
36%higher than the national median
Takeaway
The median rent for all rentals in San Francisco, CA is 51% higher than the median rent in Alameda, CA.
Average rent in nearby cities
Explore rent trends in neighboring markets
$2,650
8%$2,795
7%$3,127
7%$3,197
24%$3,190
10%$2,200
1%$2,995
4%$2,317
1%$2,300
$3,328
7%$2,798
1%$3,636
9%Cost of living in San Francisco, CA
Explore the cost of essential expenses, and then use our rent calculator to find out how much rent you can afford.
Expenses accrued by most renters | Average cost compared to national average |
|---|---|
| Goods & Services | 19% higher |
| Groceries | 24% higher |
| Health | 28% higher |
| Housing | 163% higher |
| Transportation | 44% higher |
| Utilities | 60% higher |
Discover rentals in San Francisco, CA
5d+ ago
Tenderloin apartment for rent in San Francisco
345 Taylor St Ofc 4, San Francisco, CA 94102
Studio
0 baths
$499
Apartment for rent
Available Mar 1
5d+ ago
Tenderloin apartment for rent in San Francisco
345 Taylor St Ofc 3, San Francisco, CA 94102
Studio
0 baths
$499
Apartment for rent
Available Mar 1
5d+ ago
Tenderloin apartment for rent in San Francisco
345 Taylor St Ofc 5, San Francisco, CA 94102
Studio
0 baths
$649
Apartment for rent
Available Mar 1
5d+ ago
Financial District apartment for rent in San Francisco
858 Washington St #14, San Francisco, CA 94108
Studio
0 baths
$650
Apartment for rent
Available May 10
5d+ ago
SOMA condo for rent in San Francisco
3 beds
3 baths
$30,000
Condo for rent
Available Apr 16
5d+ ago
SOMA condo for rent in San Francisco
706 Mission St Unit 28a #28A, San Francisco, CA 94103
3 beds
3.5 baths
$27,500
Condo for rent
1d ago
Presidio Heights apartment for rent in San Francisco
Washington Street & Laurel Street, San Francisco, CA 94118
4 beds
3.5 baths
$25,000
Apartment for rent
4d ago
South Beach condo for rent in San Francisco
3 beds
3 baths
$21,000
Condo for rent
Available May 26
1d ago
Verified
149 San Francisco New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105
Studio–3 beds
1–2 baths
$3,020–$18,450
House for rent
22h ago
Verified
333 Fremont St, San Francisco, CA 94105
1–2 beds
1–2 baths
$4,688–$9,211
Apartment for rent
Available Jun 29
3h ago
Verified
2665 Geneva Ave, San Francisco, CA 94014
1–3 beds
1–2 baths
$3,931–$4,020
Apartment for rent
4d ago
Verified
1200 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Studio
1 bath
$2,000
Apartment for rent
Available Oct 1
5d+ ago
Verified
4 beds
4 baths
$10,500
Condo for rent
Available Jun 7
16h ago
Verified
1801 Wedemeyer St #1457, San Francisco, CA 94129
1 bed
1 bath
$4,510
Apartment for rent
1d ago
Verified
149 San Francisco New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105
Studio–2 beds
1–2 baths
$3,020–$5,800
Apartment for rent
2d ago
South Beach apartment for rent in San Francisco
574 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Studio
1 bath
$1,995
Apartment for rent
4d ago
Verified
2665 Geneva Ave, San Francisco, CA 94014
1 bed
1 bath
Call for price
Apartment for rent
Stay up to date with rental market insights
Are you interested in licensing our current and historical rental real estate data, or do you have custom data requests? Contact datalicensing@zumper.com.
Frequently asked questions for San Francisco, CA
Quick answers to common questions about the San Francisco rental market.
How much is rent in San Francisco?
The average rent in San Francisco is $4,000 per month as of May 14, 2026.
Is rent up or down in San Francisco?
Average rent prices in San Francisco have increased by 1% over the last month and have increased by 16% since last year.
How does San Francisco rent compare to the national average?
Rent in San Francisco is 105% above the national average, which means renters are paying approximately $2,050 more per month.
Which neighborhoods are most affordable in San Francisco?
The most affordable neighborhoods in San Francisco are Financial District ($960/mo), Tenderloin ($1,795/mo), and Downtown ($2,145/mo).
What salary do I need to afford rent in San Francisco?
To comfortably afford rent in San Francisco, you'd need to earn approximately $160,000/year, based on spending no more than 30% of your income on rent.
When is the best time of year to rent in San Francisco?
San Francisco's 2025 rental market shows one-bedroom apartments averaging around $3,400 per month, while two-bedroom units command around $4,700 monthly. These figures reflect the city's position as a major tech hub with strong rental demand across different apartment sizes.
Methodology
Rent prices are based on Zumper's rental listings from the past 30 days. Median rent is calculated across all available listings and property types on the platform. If you filter the page by bedroom count or property type, the pricing throughout the page will update automatically to reflect that segment of the rental market.
Household and population data come from the U.S. Census Bureau. Cost-of-living data is sourced from the Council for Community and Economic Research's Cost of Living Index (COLI).
For additional insights into rental trends, including month-over-month changes and historical comparisons, see Zumper's Monthly Metro Report.
San Francisco Bay Area Metro Report
The Zumper San Francisco Bay Area Metro Report analyzed active listings last month across metro cities to show the most and least expensive cities and cities with the fastest growing rents. The California one-bedroom median rent was $2,037 last month.
The Most Expensive
- San Francisco ranked as the most expensive city with one-bedrooms priced at $3,850.
- Mountain View was the second priciest with rent at $3,500.
- Palo Alto placed third with rent at $3,390.
The Least Expensive
The Fastest Growing (Y/Y%)
- San Francisco continued to have the fastest growing rent, up 19.9% since this time last year.
- Emeryville saw rent climb 11.3%, making it the second fastest growing.
- Redwood City was third with rent increasing 11.1%.
The Fastest Growing (M/M%)
- Redwood City had the largest monthly growth rate, up 6.1%.
- Emeryville saw rent jump 5.3%, making it second.
- Mountain View ranked as third with rent climbing 3.6% last month.
About
The Zumper San Francisco Bay Area Metro Area Report analyzed active listings that hit the market last month. Listings are aggregated by city to calculate median asking rents.
Words by
Crystal ChenCrystal Chen is a seasoned real estate and housing market expert with more than a decade of experience analyzing rental trends, housing affordability, and urban living. At Zumper, she leads data storytelling as well as press and media relations, where she translates complex housing research into easily digestible insights for renters, industry professionals, and journalists. Her reports can be seen cited in national outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. She is passionate about helping renters navigate today’s evolving housing landscape with clarity and confidence. Living in New York City herself, she knows firsthand the chaos and challenges of navigating a competitive rental market.