San Francisco vs Seattle
A side-by-side comparison of San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.
| Place |  San FranciscoCalifornia, United States |  SeattleWashington, United States |
|---|---|---|
| Location | ||
| State / region | California | Washington |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Coordinates | 37.727, -123.032 | 47.619, -122.352 |
| Elevation | 0 m | 46 m |
| Size | ||
| Population | 827,526 | 780,992 |
| Land area | 46.7 mi² | 84.0 mi² |
| Water area | 185.2 mi² | 58.1 mi² |
| Density (per mi²) | 17,720 | 9,297 |
| Housing units | 420,054 | 411,671 |
| Demographics | ||
| Median age | 40.5 | 35.4 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 38.3% | 58.6% |
| Black or African American | 5.0% | 6.9% |
| Asian | 35.4% | 17.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.8% | 9.1% |
| Economy & education | ||
| Median household income | $139,801 | $118,745 |
| Median home value | $1,314,700 | $950,800 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 60.9% | 70.1% |
| Poverty rate | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| Unemployment | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Climate | ||
| Avg high temp | 56°F | 60°F |
| Avg low temp | 53°F | 47°F |
| Annual precipitation | 21.0 in | 46.0 in |
| Sunshine % of year | 62.0% | 49.0% |
| Annual solar (kWh/m²) | 1,595 | 1,247 |
| Air & environment | ||
| US AQI | 48 | 69 |
| Air quality category | Good | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 10.4 | 21.8 |
| PM10 (µg/m³) | 18.5 | 22.1 |
| Ozone (µg/m³) | 64.0 | 64.0 |
| NO₂ (µg/m³) | 0.2 | 35.3 |
| Wildlife species observed | 10 | 10 |
| Wildlife observations | 234,909 | 3,371,109 |
| Risk & hazards | ||
| Earthquakes (last 10y) | 769 | 394 |
| Largest earthquake (mag) | 6.0 | 4.8 |
| Active weather alerts | 1 | 1 |
| Health | ||
| Obesity | 17.5% | 22.5% |
| Diabetes | 9.6% | 6.8% |
| Smoking | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Schools total | — | 200 |
| Elementary schools | — | 120 |
| Middle schools | — | 27 |
| High schools | — | 45 |
| Civic & interest | ||
| Notable people (Wikidata) | 0 | 16 |
| Books about this place | 8 | 8 |
| Wikipedia views (last 30d) | 6,148 | 5,053 |
| Overview | ||
| Summary | San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 200,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, third by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2024. Some 4.6 million residents live in the city's metropolitan statistical area, which is the 13th-largest in the United States. Around 9.2 million live in the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland combined statistical area, the fifth-largest in the United States. Wikipedia | Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is the 18th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 784,777 in 2025, while the Seattle metropolitan area at over 4.15 million residents is the 15th-most populous metropolitan area in the nation. The city is the county seat of King County, the most populous county in Washington. Seattle's growth rate of 21.1% between 2010 and 2020 made it one of the country's fastest-growing large cities. Wikipedia |
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