Should you buy or rent in San Francisco, CA?
Compare the cost of buying vs renting in San Francisco, CA with local median home prices and rents from Zillow. Adjust the calculator to match your situation.
The San Francisco Housing Market
San Francisco's housing market is among the nation's most expensive, driven by tech wealth, limited land, and strict zoning. The metro spans the Peninsula, East Bay, and North Bay—each with distinct price dynamics.
Remote work has shifted demand toward suburbs and exurbs, but the urban core remains costly. Proposition 13 caps property tax increases for long-term owners; new buyers pay based on purchase price.
$1090k
Median Home Price
$3,955/mo
Median Rent
$75k
Median Household Income
~1%
Property Tax Rate
Property taxes for new buyers typically run around 1.1–1.2% of assessed value. Mello-Roos and HOA fees add to monthly costs in newer developments.
The calculator is pre-loaded with San Francisco-area medians so you can explore how buying compares to renting. Adjust any input to match your own situation.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Costs
Net Worth
Liquid Savings
Deciding whether to buy a home or rent and invest your savings is one of the biggest financial choices you'll ever face. With interest rates climbing, stock market growth offering potential rewards, and the allure of liquid cash for travel or retirement, the right decision isn’t always clear-cut. Owning a home can build equity and provide stability, but renting can free up resources for other investments. This guide will help you break down the costs, weigh the financial trade-offs, and determine which option aligns best with your goals and lifestyle.
Housing Costs
Renting typically costs less in the short term and increases relative to buying over time. However, this may be different in your case. The chart above uses the mortgage and rental costs you've provided to show how they compare over time.
Renting will be cheaper for about 25 years.
Net Worth
Your net worth is impacted by the rate of growth of your investments. For a renter, this will consist of savings and other investments. For a homeowner, this will also add any home equity built over time.
In 10 years, your net worth as a renter would be 0k compared to 0k as a homeowner. This is a 0k difference.
In 20 years, that difference becomes 0k
Liquid Savings
Buying a home can be a risk, due in part to the inflexibility of a mortgage and the non-liquid nature of home equity. How much cash will you have on hand for unexpected expenses or life changes? How would liquid investments grow compared to putting it toward housing?
Renting allows for more liquid assets, which can be used for time off or to buffer against unexpected expenses.