Up and Coming Neighborhoods
Up and Coming Neighborhoods in San Francisco: Where Prices Rose Fastest in the Last 12 Months
Updated November 5, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
The fastest-rising neighborhood in San Francisco over the last 12 months was Noe Valley, where the median price per square foot rose 20.8% to $1,529, against a citywide change of +13.7%. Presidio Heights (+20.2%) and Financial District (+20.2%) were next. We ranked every San Francisco neighborhood with at least 20 closings in our MLS feed in each of the last two years by the change in median price per square foot, then checked days on market and the share of homes selling above asking to separate real momentum from a few unusual sales. 3 of the top 10 still have a median price below the citywide median of $1,600,000.
TurboHome Market Analysis · San Francisco, CA · Closings Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 vs a year earlier · Published November 2026
Key findings
- Top three: Noe Valley (+20.8%, to $1,529 per square foot), Presidio Heights (+20.2%) and Financial District (+20.2%).
- Citywide context: San Francisco's median price per square foot rose 13.7%, from $996 a year earlier to $1,132.
- Still below the citywide median: Downtown / Civic Center ($605,000, -62%), Outer Mission ($1,524,000, -5%) and Potrero Hill ($1,350,000, -16%) are priced below the $1,600,000 citywide median.
- Biggest drop in days on market: Downtown / Civic Center, from a median 63 days a year earlier to 37.
- Biggest jump in bidding: Potrero Hill, where the share of homes sold above asking rose from 46% to 77%.
San Francisco's 10 fastest-rising neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with at least 20 closings in our feed in both windows, ranked by the change in median price per square foot from November 2024 through October 2025 to November 2025 through October 2026. 29 San Francisco neighborhoods qualified.
| Neighborhood | Closings | Median price per sq ft, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 | A year earlier | Change | Median sale price | Vs citywide median | Median days on market, now (year earlier) | Share sold above asking, now (year earlier) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noe Valley | 135 | $1,529 | $1,266 | +20.8% | $2,600,000 | +63% | 11 (14) | 88% (72%) |
| Presidio Heights | 36 | $1,497 | $1,246 | +20.2% | $3,510,000 | +119% | 10 (15) | 78% (48%) |
| Financial District | 125 | $1,200 | $998 | +20.2% | $1,850,000 | +16% | 45 (53) | 13% (6%) |
| Downtown / Civic Center | 99 | $870 | $735 | +18.3% | $605,000 | -62% | 37 (63) | 43% (20%) |
| The Marina | 124 | $1,514 | $1,284 | +18.0% | $2,512,500 | +57% | 13 (16) | 73% (50%) |
| Glen Park | 46 | $1,295 | $1,111 | +16.6% | $2,365,000 | +48% | 12 (16) | 89% (68%) |
| The Richmond District | 253 | $1,219 | $1,050 | +16.1% | $2,200,000 | +38% | 12 (14) | 90% (74%) |
| Outer Mission | 127 | $1,010 | $871 | +16.0% | $1,524,000 | -5% | 12 (14) | 94% (75%) |
| Lakeshore | 58 | $972 | $843 | +15.2% | $1,832,500 | +15% | 14 (14) | 84% (73%) |
| Potrero Hill | 134 | $1,153 | $1,003 | +15.0% | $1,350,000 | -16% | 12 (33) | 77% (46%) |
The table ranks by price per square foot rather than median sale price because price per square foot is less sensitive to which homes happened to sell: a year with more large houses on the market can push the median price up even when nothing got more expensive. Days on market and the share sold above asking show whether buyers are actually competing for the neighborhood. When both improve along with the price, the momentum is real; when they do not, a few large or renovated sales may have moved the number.
Citywide context: how San Francisco as a whole moved
| Metric | Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 | A year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Closings analyzed | 3,913 | 3,754 |
| Median price per sq ft | $1,132 (+13.7%) | $996 |
| Median sale price | $1,600,000 | $1,382,575 |
| Median days on market | 13 | 19 |
| Share sold above asking | 70% | 56% |
The top neighborhoods are riding a citywide rise: San Francisco's median price per square foot rose 13.7% to $1,132, so "up and coming" here means beating that citywide gain, which all 10 neighborhoods in the table did. Citywide, homes sold in a median 13 days against 19 a year earlier, and 70% sold above asking against 56%.
Rising and still below the citywide median
| Neighborhood | Median sale price | Vs citywide median | Change in price per sq ft | Share sold above asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown / Civic Center | $605,000 | -62% | +18.3% | 43% |
| Outer Mission | $1,524,000 | -5% | +16.0% | 94% |
| Potrero Hill | $1,350,000 | -16% | +15.0% | 77% |
These neighborhoods let a buyer get in below the $1,600,000 citywide median while prices are still climbing. Downtown / Civic Center is both the lowest-priced entry, at $605,000, and the fastest riser, at +18.3%. The trade-off is competition: 94% of homes in Outer Mission sold above asking, so expect to bid there.
What is driving each neighborhood (local commentary)
San Francisco is the rare city in our feed where nearly every neighborhood is rising, so "up and coming" here means rising faster than a citywide 13.7% gain in price per square foot. The surprise is downtown: the Financial District and Downtown / Civic Center condo markets, which lagged for years, posted 20.2% and 18.3% gains in price per square foot, and Downtown / Civic Center cut its median days on market from 63 to 37 while the share of homes selling above asking jumped from 20% to 43%. At a $605,000 median price, 62% below the citywide median, it is the only entry point in the top 10 under $1,000,000. Potrero Hill is the other value story, with a $1,350,000 median, days on market down from 33 to 12 and the share sold above asking up from 46% to 77%. The Outer Mission is the most competitive neighborhood in the table, with 94% of 127 closings selling above asking.
How to use this list if you are buying in San Francisco
- Treat price per square foot growth as a screen, not a verdict. Visit the top three, Noe Valley, Presidio Heights and Financial District, and judge the streets, the homes and the commute for yourself.
- Check whether days on market fell along with the price rise. Rising prices with lengthening days on market usually means a few renovated sales moved the median.
- Compare the neighborhood's median price with the citywide median. The citywide median sale price in San Francisco was $1,600,000; a negative figure in the "vs citywide median" column means the neighborhood is still an entry point.
- Pull the last 12 months of closings on the specific streets you like before offering. Neighborhood medians blend very different blocks, and the sales on your street are the comps the seller's agent will use.
- Expect to compete where more than half of homes sell above asking. In this table that means Noe Valley (88%), Presidio Heights (78%), The Marina (73%), Glen Park (89%), The Richmond District (90%), Outer Mission (94%), Lakeshore (84%) and Potrero Hill (77%). Use the share-sold-above-asking column to decide how aggressive the offer needs to be.
Methodology
We looked at closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses in San Francisco from our MLS feed, closed November 2025 through October 2026, compared with closings from November 2024 through October 2025 (3,913 and 3,754 closings). Price per square foot is the closing price divided by living area; figures are medians. "Share sold above asking" is the share of closings where the sale price exceeded the final list price. Neighborhoods need at least 20 closings in each window to be ranked (29 San Francisco neighborhoods qualified); neighborhoods with fewer closings are excluded, so some well-known areas do not appear. Sales under $50,000 or over $20,000,000 and price per square foot outside $50 to $5,000 are excluded. Published November 2026.
FAQ
What are the up and coming neighborhoods in San Francisco?
Ranked by the change in median price per square foot over the last 12 months, the up and coming neighborhoods in San Francisco are Noe Valley (+20.8%, to $1,529), Presidio Heights (+20.2%, to $1,497) and Financial District (+20.2%, to $1,200), against a citywide change of +13.7%.
Which San Francisco neighborhoods are still affordable but rising?
Downtown / Civic Center (median $605,000, -62% vs the citywide median, price per square foot +18.3%), Outer Mission (median $1,524,000, -5% vs the citywide median, price per square foot +16.0%) and Potrero Hill (median $1,350,000, -16% vs the citywide median, price per square foot +15.0%) are in the top 10 and still priced below the $1,600,000 citywide median.
Is San Francisco as a whole getting more expensive?
Yes. San Francisco's median price per square foot rose 13.7%, from $996 to $1,132, and the median sale price went from $1,382,575 to $1,600,000. Homes sold in a median 13 days against 19 a year earlier, and 70% sold above asking against 56%.
Which San Francisco neighborhood is the most competitive right now?
Among the top 10, Outer Mission is the most competitive: 94% of homes sold above asking (75% a year earlier), with a median 12 days on market.
How did you rank the neighborhoods?
We ranked every San Francisco neighborhood with at least 20 closings in our MLS feed in both November 2024 through October 2025 and November 2025 through October 2026 by the change in median price per square foot, which is the closing price divided by living area. We then checked median days on market and the share of homes sold above asking to separate real buyer competition from a few unusual sales.
Related guides
- Up and coming neighborhoods, by city
- Bay Area home buying guides
- Best San Francisco neighborhoods for first-time buyers
- How much over asking to offer in San Francisco
- HOA fees in San Francisco
- Down payment on a house in San Francisco
- Best time to buy a house in San Francisco
- New construction vs resale homes in San Francisco
- How long it takes to close in San Francisco
- San Francisco housing market
- Income needed to buy a home in San Francisco
- California home buying guides
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Kevin Kretzmer
Head Agent, California
Kevin Kretzmer leads TurboHome's California agent team and reviews California and national buyer guidance for practical brokerage accuracy.
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