Should I Move To
Roughly 65,596 people live in South San Francisco, California. Living here costs very expensive relative to the rest of the country, 50% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,649/mo; the typical household pulls in $127,062. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 53/100 — a C-, putting it at #361 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, South San Francisco sits at 150 — very expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,649/mo against $127,062 median household income), housing eats roughly 25% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $1,113,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is mild: roughly 72°F in summer, 43°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 19 inches. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 44).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, South San Francisco isn't the strongest match. It earns 43/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
For retirees, South San Francisco isn't the strongest match. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
For remote workers, South San Francisco isn't the strongest match. It earns 36/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
For young professionals, South San Francisco is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (1/100).
South San Francisco, California pulls a 53/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #361 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
South San Francisco's cost-of-living index is 150 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very expensive band — 50% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,649/mo.
Mild — summer averages around 72°F, winter averages around 43°F, with about 19 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 21/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
South San Francisco has about 65,596 residents, 39% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 42.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put South San Francisco head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how South San Francisco stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare South San Francisco with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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