New Census data: San Francisco getting richer, more crowded

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

The median income in San Francisco County has increased by 30 percent in just five years, according to new U.S. Census data.

In 2012, the average San Franciscan made $73,802. Five years later, he's making $96,265 — nearly $40,000 more than the U.S. average. About 21 percent of the population makes $200,000 or more in a year, up from just 13.3 percent in 2012.

The figures come from the just-released American Community Survey, an ongoing inquiry into the demographics of the nation's cities and states the U.S. Census publishes every five years.


The survey paints a portrait of San Francisco that reflects some of the changes longtime locals and politicians have been fretting over for years — namely the city skewing more expensive, younger, wealthier and less diverse.


Though the population grew by 7 percent over the last five years, the housing stock grew by just 3.88 percent, a marginal increase reflected by rising rents and longer commute times. 32.5 percent of residents' income is devoted to housing, up from 28.5 percent in 2012. This likely

means that housing costs continue to rise, and that even people earning higher incomes must cough up more for a roof over their heads than ever before. In fact, the median amount people are spending on rent grew by $250 — from $1,447 in 2012 to $1,709 in 2017.

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