San Francisco - Home Equity Index

Jan 31, 2019

This interactive chart visualizes ownership and home equity data for San Francisco. The Marina area of SF (Zip Code 94123) has the highest median and aggregate home equity amount, at $6.8 billion total (coincidentally, the same amount spent on the Bay Bridge's Eastern Span Replacement project). The neighborhoods of Hunter's Point and the Tenderloin have the lowest amounts of median equity, on a per-home basis, although this value is still north of $500,000 in both cases. The Chinatown neighborhood has the highest percentage of homes owned outright, at almost 50%. In aggregate, equity in SF homes is about equal to Jeff and McKenzie's net worth as of January 2019 ($137 billion).

Despite a minimum wage of $15/hour, San Francisco is extremely unaffordable for earners on the lower end of the income spectrum according to our housing affordability ratio. For those with the option of deciding between renting and buying, experts unanimously agree that renting in San Francisco and investing the difference is more financially savvy than buying in 2019.

The Walletwyse Home Equity Index estimates positive equity in owner-occupied homes for U.S. states, cities and Zip Codes. This includes median home values and mortgage balances, the percentage of homes owned free and clear, and aggregated total equity. The release schedule for our city maps is published here, along with the methodology for the index.

While you're visiting, calculate the cost of home ownership in your area with our progressive Home Purchase Calculator. Choose from Basic, Advanced or "Wyse" modes to understand everything from the fundamentals to complex concepts like the opportunity cost of buying a home.

Our goal at Walletwyse is the thoughtful curation of financial information to help you make informed, bias-free decisions, so we are unaffiliated with lenders and brokerages.