San Francisco Relocation Guide — Cost of Living & Visa (2026)
expensive and not sorry about it and mostly safe, on the water
More of San Francisco
Day viewTL;DRSan Francisco in one sentence
San Francisco has a real tech scene — actual VC money, not just coworking spaces with good Wi-Fi. On the ground: rent runs ~$3413/mo, PR in ~10 years.
San Francisco has a real tech scene — actual VC money, not just coworking spaces with good Wi-Fi. On the ground: rent runs ~$3413/mo, PR in ~10 years.
Thinking about moving to San Francisco? Expect rent from $3,413/month, generally safe for expats, English is the primary language. This page covers cost of living, safety, weather, residency options, and everything else settlers want to know before signing a lease.
Moving to San Francisco — the short version
- 🛂Visa path: US Employment-Based Green Card — relatively straightforward
- 📅Residency timeline: PR in ~10 years, citizenship in ~13y
- 🏠Housing: 1-bed centre from $3,413/mo · first-month landing cost ~$12,582
- 🔑Finding a place: moderate — 1–4 weeks, eased since pandemic
- 🗣️Language: English-speaking — no language barrier
- 👥Spouse work rights: restricted — H-4 spouse can work only if H-1B principal has approved I-140. EAD processing takes 6–12 months (standalone), no auto-extension since Oct 2025.
Full details in the sections below — residency, costs, safety, and everything else settlers actually care about.
#108 in Livability because rent devours the affordability score. #1 in Startup Cities because ecosystem density and VC presence drive the ranking. See Startup Cities
Just you against the world. And the rent.
Expenses = rent + food + transport + utilities · Rent alone: $3,413/mo
How the Livability Score is calculatedShow score breakdown ▸
Total: 72.5/130 raw pts → normalized to 56/100 · Full methodology
Data: Numbeo · UNODC · EIU · EF EPI · Ookla · How is this calculated?
Is San Francisco a Good Place to Live in 2026?
San Francisco has real strengths, but also trade-offs: high rent relative to most relocation destinations. Here's what the numbers say about settling in San Francisco, United States.
- ›Flawed democracy: Democracy index 7.8/10 — a flawed democracy — elections happen, but institutional weaknesses persist.
- ›Cost of living: A 1-bedroom in the center runs ~$3413/mo — serious money — hope your salary matches.
- ›Safety: Homicide rate 4.4 per 100k (Numbeo safety index: 39/100) — average safety — normal street-smarts apply.
- ›Residency path: PR in ~10 years, citizenship in 13 — a long process — plan for a multi-year commitment before PR.
- ›Climate: Summers peak around 70°F, winters dip to 46°F.
Life in San Francisco
✦ Sections reordered for Freelance-Friendly
What It Actually Costs
$6,373/mo
What It Actually Costs
$6,373/mo
Monthly cost of living
$6,373/mo
Rent, groceries, utilities, transit — what settling actually costs.
Spot prices
Numbeo
What Paychecks Look Like
Junior $140k · Mid $191k · Senior $248k
What Paychecks Look Like
Junior $140k · Mid $191k · Senior $248k
Annual gross in USD — with what United States actually lets you keep
Levels.fyi · as of May 2026
Junior ~ $140k · Mid ~ $191k · Senior ~ $248k — see breakdown
Software Engineer by level
Net = employee rate, your settings
Punch in your actual salary for a personalized breakdown →Costs & Money
6Rent, taxes, landing fees, and the freelance paperwork maze
Costs & Money
6Rent, taxes, landing fees, and the freelance paperwork maze
Freelancing in San Francisco
Freelancing in San Francisco
What it takes to invoice clients from San Francisco without an employer holding your hand
How the government sees you
Getting paid
Cost of doing business
Source: IRS · SSA · rates as of 2025–2026
Freelance Setup in United States
Sole Proprietorship / Self-Employment · Self-employment tax: 15.3% on net earnings (12.4% Social Security up to $176,100 + 2.9% Medicare, no cap)
Freelance Setup in United States
Sole Proprietorship / Self-Employment · Self-employment tax: 15.3% on net earnings (12.4% Social Security up to $176,100 + 2.9% Medicare, no cap)
What it takes to get legal and stay legal in San Francisco
Best-fit path
Sole proprietor filing Schedule C with Form 1040. No separate entity needed. Deduct half of self-employment tax, home office, and business expenses.
Registration requirements
The US is uniquely easy to start — no registration needed to freelance, just file Schedule C. But the 15.3% self-employment tax surprises many people. Quarterly estimated tax payments are required to avoid penalties. Consider an S-Corp election once profit exceeds ~$60-80k to reduce SE tax. State taxes vary wildly — Texas/Florida 0% vs California 13.3%.
Cost to Land
1-bed centre: $3413/mo
Cost to Land
1-bed centre: $3413/mo
The price of showing up (before real life starts)
$18,822one-time
Then it's ~$6,373/mo to actually live here.
Can you afford it?
Enter your salary in the sidebar to see how far it stretches here.
Numbeo
Local tenancy law
IKEA estimate
USCIS fee schedule
Local insurance rates
Source: Numbeo · updated Apr 2026 — numbers we didn't make up
How Hard to Find a Place?
3/5 · 1–4 weeks, eased since pandemic
How Hard to Find a Place?
3/5 · 1–4 weeks, eased since pandemic
The part Numbeo doesn't tell you
Budget a few weeks. Bureaucracy exists, but it won't break you.
What stands between you and a lease
- •Credit score check (FICO 650+)
- •Income requirement: 2.5–3× monthly rent
- •First + last month + security deposit
- •Rent control applies to pre-1979 buildings only
Zumper, Investropa SF Rents 2026 · 2026-Q1
Tax on Savings
Capital gains 20% · Dividends 23.8% · No wealth tax
Tax on Savings
Capital gains 20% · Dividends 23.8% · No wealth tax
What United States takes from your investments, not your paycheck
Source: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries / IRS · 2025 rates · tax-resident individuals
Daily Life
10Weather, vibes, nightlife — will you actually enjoy it here?
Daily Life
10Weather, vibes, nightlife — will you actually enjoy it here?
Is San Francisco a Good Place to Live in 2026?
1 pros · 2 cons
Is San Francisco a Good Place to Live in 2026?
1 pros · 2 cons
Derived from cost, safety, weather, democracy, and internet data
For
- +San Francisco is a startup hub. Real VCs, real deals.
Against
- −$3413/mo rent in San Francisco. Budget accordingly.
- −San Francisco: 4.4 homicides/100k — well above European norms. Pick your area.
What You're Breathing
PM2.5 13.1 μg/m³ · 2.6× WHO limit
What You're Breathing
PM2.5 13.1 μg/m³ · 2.6× WHO limit
Invisible particles in every breath
Sources: WHO Air Quality Database V6.1, OpenAQ
Weather in San Francisco
Summer 70°F high · 14.8h daylight (Jun) · Winter 46°F low · 9.5h daylight (Dec)
Weather in San Francisco
Summer 70°F high · 14.8h daylight (Jun) · Winter 46°F low · 9.5h daylight (Dec)
Average daytime high per season
Spring
64°F
59% sunny
Summer
70°F
87% sunny
14.8h daylight
Fall
68°F
72% sunny
Winter
59°F
48% sunny
9.5h daylight
Daylight contrast
Winter 9.5h (Dec) vs summer 14.8h (Jun)
+5.3h
Best: Summer, Fall, Spring.
Source: WeatherSpark
Will You Survive Summer Here?
0.6→0.6 days ≥95°F by 2045 · 90% have A/C
Will You Survive Summer Here?
0.6→0.6 days ≥95°F by 2045 · 90% have A/C
Days ≥95°F now
0.6
per year
Days ≥95°F in 2045
0.6
projected / year
Tropical nights 2045
1.7
nights ≥68°F / yr
2045 numbers are a 5-model mean over 2040–2050 under CMIP6 HighResMIP · ~RCP8.5 (high-emissions) — the high-emissions pathway, not a best case. Open-Meteo (CMIP6 Climate).
The trend (days ≥86°F): San Francisco used to get 4.7 days a year over 86°F in the 1970s. Now it gets 3.6. The needle has barely moved — for now. The tiles above count the rarer ≥95°F days; this line counts ≥86°F so the change is visible.
Homes with air conditioning
Built for the heat — most homes can cool down.
90%
A/C data: IEA (Future of Cooling)
Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5 Archive)
Will You Have a Thursday Night?
Will You Have a Thursday Night?
Nightlife & social scene
as of Apr 2026
Scene tags
Source: Numbeo Quality of Life Index
Can You Ditch the Car?
Can You Ditch the Car?
Safety & Family
5Crime stats, healthcare, schools — the stuff that keeps you up at night
Safety & Family
5Crime stats, healthcare, schools — the stuff that keeps you up at night
Is San Francisco Safe?
Homicide rate: 4.4 per 100k
Is San Francisco Safe?
Homicide rate: 4.4 per 100k
Mixed safety profile. Research neighborhoods carefully, especially for evening routines.
Locals report high concern about everyday crime — petty theft, pickpocketing, and property crime are common complaints.
Why the gap? Our score (56) is higher than Numbeo's (39) because hard stats — low homicide, strong peace ranking — look good on paper, even though residents report feeling less safe day-to-day.
Neighborhood breakdown
We don't have an official neighborhood-level crime feed wired for San Francisco yet. The figures above are still citywide or regional.
Settling the family in San Francisco
PISA 489 · Daycare $3018/mo · Partner work rights are very limited
Settling the family in San Francisco
PISA 489 · Daycare $3018/mo · Partner work rights are very limited
Schools, daycare, healthcare, and partner work rights on one page
Family Healthcare
Private-firstNo public option for immigrants; employer insurance or ACA marketplace required
No public healthcare for non-citizens. Emergency rooms must stabilize you (EMTALA law), but the bill can be financially devastating. Private insurance essential from day 1 (~$350/mo for basic). Employer-sponsored insurance is the norm — negotiate it before you move.
Dependents on temporary status: plan on private coverage first.
Pediatric/specialist reality: 2–6 weeks.
CHIP covers children in low-income families; otherwise depends on employer plan
Spouse / Dependent Rules
Partner work rights are very limitedPartner work rights are very limited
H-4 spouse can work only if H-1B principal has approved I-140. EAD processing takes 6–12 months (standalone), no auto-extension since Oct 2025.
By relationship type
Registered partner: US immigration does not recognize domestic partnerships or civil unions. Only legal marriage qualifies for dependent visa sponsorship.
Unmarried partner: US immigration does not recognize unmarried partners regardless of cohabitation length. Marriage is the only path to dependent status.
Same-sex partner: Same-sex unmarried partners must marry to qualify. Since Obergefell (2015), same-sex marriages are fully recognized for immigration.
But can they actually find a job?
You need visa sponsorship and serious credentials. Tech hubs sponsor H-1B workers. Healthcare and engineering also sponsor. The visa is the bottleneck, not the language.
Unmarried & Same-Sex Partners
US immigration only recognizes legal marriage (since Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015, this includes same-sex marriages). No federal recognition of domestic partnerships or common-law relationships for immigration.
Sources: ISD (Tuition Data), OECD PISA, Wikipedia (Intl. Schools), Townleap (Public School Viability), Numbeo, OECD Health at a Glance 2025, National health ministry websites, Immigration authority
Crossing the Street
14.2 road deaths/100k · ↑ worsening
Crossing the Street
14.2 road deaths/100k · ↑ worsening
Road traffic deaths — country-level data; city-specific rates not available
Traffic fatality rates are high. Choose your commute route and transport mode carefully. You're 3× more likely to die crossing the street than being murdered here.
Who dies on the road
Data year: 2016
Will You Survive Getting Sick?
No public option for immigrants; employer insurance or ACA marketplace required
Will You Survive Getting Sick?
No public option for immigrants; employer insurance or ACA marketplace required
Quality, access, and costs for settlers
Score = 50% outcomes + 30% access + 20% perception. Missing components are re-weighted.
No public healthcare for non-citizens. Emergency rooms must stabilize you (EMTALA law), but the bill can be financially devastating. Private insurance essential from day 1 (~$350/mo for basic). Employer-sponsored insurance is the norm — negotiate it before you move.
No public option for immigrants; employer insurance or ACA marketplace required
Numbeo survey — higher is better. Based on resident perceptions.
CHIP covers children in low-income families; otherwise depends on employer plan
Vaccination coverage: WHO/UNICEF estimates, 2024
Good healthcare system. Competent doctors, modern equipment, and reasonable wait times at most facilities.
Sources: OECD Health at a Glance 2025, Numbeo, National health ministry websites
For the Kids
3 international schools · PISA 489
For the Kids
3 international schools · PISA 489
Schools, childcare costs, and whether your children can actually enroll
3 international schools · $15k–$44k/yr · Slim pickings. Visit before you commit.
Public school is the default path for most expat families here — the PISA score (489) lands in average territory, but that hasn't stopped locals or newcomers.
Sources: ISD (Tuition Data), OECD PISA, Wikipedia (Intl. Schools), Townleap (Public School Viability), Numbeo
Work & Logistics
6Wi-Fi speed, banking, getting around — boring but essential
Work & Logistics
6Wi-Fi speed, banking, getting around — boring but essential
How Fast Is the Wi-Fi, Really?
181↓ / 21↑ Mbps
How Fast Is the Wi-Fi, Really?
181↓ / 21↑ Mbps
Median speeds across all connection types · Ookla Speedtest Global Index
Speeds are median across all connection types — DSL, cable, fiber, and mobile. If you're on a modern fiber or 5G plan, expect 300–1,000 Mbps down.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index
Who Has Offices in San Francisco?
Salesforce, Uber, Airbnb + 3 more
Who Has Offices in San Francisco?
Salesforce, Uber, Airbnb + 3 more
✓ visa = known to sponsor non-EU work visas
Notable employers with offices in the city. Not exhaustive.
How You'll Actually Pay for Things
How You'll Actually Pay for Things
Banking & money mobility for settlers
Many banks open accounts for foreigners with just a passport and a second ID; the US is the world's primary SWIFT hub with zero capital controls — ITIN helps but isn't always required.
Can Your Mom Visit?
Can Your Mom Visit?
United States, the Country
Visa paths, politics, rights, and what the country looks like from the outside
United States, the Country
Visa paths, politics, rights, and what the country looks like from the outside
Can You Actually Live Here?
PR in ~10 yrs · Citizenship in 13 yrs · Partner work rights are very limited
Can You Actually Live Here?
PR in ~10 yrs · Citizenship in 13 yrs · Partner work rights are very limited
Visa difficulty, time to residency, and what it takes to stay
For a US citizen passport: Easy
H-1B lottery → EB-2/EB-3 green card (current for most nationalities; 12–20+ yr backlog for India/China), then 5 yr residency before citizenship. Requires English proficiency and passing a 128-question civics test (12/20 to pass).
Partner & dependents
H-4 spouse can work only if H-1B principal has approved I-140. EAD processing takes 6–12 months (standalone), no auto-extension since Oct 2025.
Not married? Here’s how it changes
Updated May 2026 · Source
What You Can Actually Do Here
Tech jobs very high · Sponsorship hard · Startup hub · tech, ai, fintech
What You Can Actually Do Here
Tech jobs very high · Sponsorship hard · Startup hub · tech, ai, fintech
Industries, employers, and how startup-friendly this place is
Employment
Tech job density Very high (91/100)ⓘ
Open tech roles ~2.4k(est.)
Top university ranked #1 globally
Non-EU sponsorship Hard (46/100)ⓘ
Startup Scene
Ease of doing business: #55
Sources: StartupBlink · scraper-owned tech clusters · country visa sources
Who's Running the Show
Democracy index: 7.8/10
Who's Running the Show
Democracy index: 7.8/10
Politics, freedom, and press independence
What Will Break 6 Months In
The system works. It just works on its own schedule. Government offices close early, queues are real, and patience is mandatory.
Do People Trust Each Other Here?
37% trust most people · rising
Do People Trust Each Other Here?
37% trust most people · rising
Whether a stranger here expects you to screw them over
The fine print, for the distrustful
The US number is disputed: the World Values Survey shows interpersonal trust roughly flat near 37%, while the long-running General Social Survey shows a slide toward ~25%. The two use different question wording and mode, so treat the level as a range, not a point.
Interpersonal: Integrated Values Surveys (World Values Survey + European Values Study), via Our World in Data · 2022 wave
Do They Want You Here?
8.0/9 acceptance · holding steady
Do They Want You Here?
8.0/9 acceptance · holding steady
How the locals feel about people who moved here — public sentiment, measured country-wide. Not immigration law.
Would help you carry the boxes in — when Gallup last asked, in 2019. A lot has happened since.
Acceptance index up 0.1 points between 2016 and 2019 (Gallup).
The fine print, for the unconvinced
Gallup's Migrant Acceptance Index: how welcome migrants are as neighbours, colleagues and in-laws. Not a measure of immigration policy, border enforcement, or how any of it looks now.
This is a 2019 reading on whether Americans accept migrants as neighbours and in-laws — a different question from what immigration policy should be, and one nobody has re-asked since. On the policy question Gallup's separate trend has swung hard in both directions in the meantime: 55% wanted immigration decreased in 2024, 29% in June 2026. Neither that swing nor the enforcement environment since 2019 is visible in the index above. (The 2016/17 figure is also Gallup's revised one, 7.86, fielded 2017; the original press release carried 7.27 before Canada and the US were re-fielded.)
Gallup has asked this every June since 1965. The 55% who wanted less immigration in 2024 was the highest reading in over twenty years — but not the record, which is 65%, set in 1993 and matched in 1995.
Index: Gallup Migrant Acceptance Index · 2019 wave
LGBTQ+ Rights & Reproductive Access
Rainbow 67/100 · Marriage legal
LGBTQ+ Rights & Reproductive Access
Rainbow 67/100 · Marriage legal
LGBTQ+ protections, reproductive rights, and who the law actually covers
Moderate protections
via Equaldex Equality Index
Can Your Partner Move Here?
Same-sex unmarried partners must marry to qualify. Since Obergefell (2015), same-sex marriages are fully recognized for immigration.
Trans Rights
Reproductive Health Access
The national law is only half the story here — what you can actually get, and when, depends on which state or province you land in.
Legal on request pre-viability under state constitution and statute.
Source: Equaldex Equality Index
Reproductive: Center for Reproductive Rights
How this Rainbow Index works: Outside Europe there's no Rainbow Map, so this 0–100 number comes from the Equaldex Equality Index — a different beast that blends a legal-rights index with a public-opinion index. It measures roughly the same thing (how good it is to be queer here) but isn't directly comparable to the European scores, which are pure law-on-the-books. Read it as a ballpark, not a decimal-precise ranking.
Jewish Safety
Antisemitic attitudes, hate crimes, and community presence
Jewish Safety
Antisemitic attitudes, hate crimes, and community presence
Antisemitic attitudes, hate crime incidents, and Jewish community presence
Very low prevalence
ADL Global 100 (2024) — % agreeing with 6+ of 11 antisemitic stereotypes
Includes threats, verbal harassment, vandalism, propaganda, and physical assaults reported across United States — not just violent attacks. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
How to read this: These three metrics are shown separately because they measure different things. ADL measures attitudes (what people believe), OSCE counts reported incidents (what gets filed), and synagogues show community presence (not safety). A country can have high attitudes and low incidents (Saudi Arabia) or low attitudes and high incidents (UK). No single number captures "Jewish safety" — read all three together.
English in San Francisco
English in San Francisco
Work, hiring, and meetings default to English.
Doctors, landlords, and city paperwork usually start in English too.
Primary local language is English, so office and street English are treated as native-level.
FSI-style difficulty — 1 (practically a dialect) to 5 (new everything)
Will the Lights Stay On?
Grid 83/100 · 25% renewable · Outages: occasional
Will the Lights Stay On?
Grid 83/100 · 25% renewable · Outages: occasional
Grid stability, energy mix, and outage risk
Sources: IEA, World Bank (SAIDI), national grid operators
Who Keeps the Lights On?
Dirty but nobody can turn it off · 43% clean · mostly gas
Who Keeps the Lights On?
Dirty but nobody can turn it off · 43% clean · mostly gas
Where the power comes from, and who can switch it off
Self-sufficient — generation roughly matches demand across the year.
Gas-dominated but adding solar and wind faster than anything else; the mix is cleaning up without a national mandate.
Sources: Ember (generation mix), GlobalPetrolPrices (household rate), IEA (trajectory) · 2025
More on San Francisco
Not sold yet?
Other cities exist. Some of them are even good.
Reality-check it
Got an offer in San Francisco?
Head-to-head
San Francisco vs Seattle
Head-to-head
San Francisco vs Los Angeles
Cut from the same cloth
Seattle
Let the algorithm judge you
2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate
San Francisco — FAQ
10 questions answered
San Francisco — FAQ
10 questions answered
What should I know before moving to San Francisco?▾
San Francisco is a real relocation destination, not a backpacker layover. What you need to know: permanent residency in ~10 years, 1-bed rent from $3413/month, English-speaking. This page breaks down the full picture — cost of living, visa paths, safety, language barrier, and what daily life actually looks like for someone who stays past the honeymoon phase.
How safe is San Francisco, really?▾
Homicide rate: 4.4 per 100,000 (UNODC). World average is 5.8, so San Francisco is generally safe — about what you'd expect. Numbeo Crime Index sits at 60.6/100 (lower = safer) — that's what residents actually say about walking home at night, not what the tourism board says. Learn the neighborhoods before signing a lease — every city has blocks you'll love and blocks you won't.
What's the real cost of living in San Francisco?▾
A 1-bed in the centre runs about $3413/month (Numbeo). Day-to-day: a cheap restaurant meal: $25.00, monthly transit pass: $87. All in — rent, food, getting around, keeping the lights on — budget $3813–$4213/month depending on whether you cook or eat out. That's the settler number, not the tourist number.
What's the weather actually like in San Francisco?▾
San Francisco: Summers reach around 70°F with about 14.8 hours of daylight in Jun, winters drop to around 46°F and 9.5 hours of daylight in Dec. Comfortable summers — the kind where you argue about whether to open the window or not.
Is San Francisco actually worth settling in long-term?▾
United States scores 7.8/10 on the EIU Democracy Index. Solid democracy. Not perfect, but the courts work and the press is free. You can build a life without worrying about the next election too much. Rent from $3413/month.
What's the job market really like in San Francisco?▾
Unemployment: 4.2%. Translation: competitive but not hopeless — the right skills open doors. If you're planning to job-hunt locally, research your industry before booking a one-way ticket. If you work remotely, this number matters less — but your visa type might not let you.
Who's actually hiring in San Francisco? ▾
Companies with real offices here (not just a registered address): Salesforce, Uber, Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, Anthropic. Check their career pages — a company on this list isn't a guarantee they're hiring right now, but it means the talent pipeline exists.
Is San Francisco any good for expats?▾
Depends what kind of expat you are. Key facts: rent from $3413/month; US Employment-Based Green Card (complex process). The numbers above — livability score, safety, cost of living — tell you whether the city works on paper. Whether it works for you depends on what you're optimizing for. Take the quiz if you want a more honest answer than "it's great for expats."
How do you actually get a visa to live in United States?▾
United States has the US Employment-Based Green Card program. Duration: Permanent residence. Requirements: Employer sponsorship (EB-1 to EB-3) or investor visa (EB-5, $1.05M / $800K in targeted areas). Current for most nationalities, 12–20+ yr backlog for India/China. Complex enough that an immigration lawyer earns their fee. Don't DIY this one. Always verify with the official government portal — immigration rules change faster than this page updates.
How long until you get permanent residency in United States?▾
Permanent residency typically takes 10 years of legal residence; citizenship eligibility after 13 years total. The usual prerequisites: proof of income, a clean criminal record, and sometimes enough local language to prove you're serious. Rules change — check with an immigration lawyer before building your five-year plan around a Reddit thread.
Can you actually move abroad?
Check real visa paths based on your passport, profession, and savings. Not the tourist visa — the one that lets you stay.
Find visa paths that actually work for you →Other cities in United States
See all →▸Show full data table
🇺🇸 San Francisco
$6,373/ mo
Rent: $3413 · Rest: $2960
🚗 That's 354 Uber rides/mo
✓80/100
128th
10y
13y
😊 70°F
❄️ 46°F
180↓ / 20↑ Mbps
Median · Ookla
United States
Economics · World Bank / IMF
GDP per capita (PPP)2024
$85,810
GDP Growth2024
+2.8%
Inflation2024
2.9%↑
Boringly steadySource: World Bank
Unemployment2025
4.2%
Gini Index2024
41.8
Population2024
827,526
Politics · EIU / Freedom House
Democracy Index
7.8→29th
Regime
Flawed democracy
Freedom House
80/100
Press Freedom
55th
Safety · UNODC / Numbeo
Homicide per 100K
4.4
Safety Index
✗39.4/100
Residency Path · uscis.gov
Visa Difficulty
Time to Permanent Residency
10 years
Path to Citizenship
13 years
Work Permit
complex
Career
Industries
tech, ai, fintech
Startup Scene
hub
Connectivity · Ookla Speedtest
Median downloadSan Francisco
180.5 Mbps
Avg uploadUnited States
20.8 Mbps
Avg downloadUnited States
207.2 Mbps
Median across all connection types (DSL, cable, fiber, mobile). Fiber and 5G plans in major cities typically deliver 300–1 000 Mbps.
Language · EF EPI
Languages
English, Spanish (I)
English Proficiency
Native
Next up
Start with the closest follow-up paths, then open the long tail if you want more.
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San Francisco appears in
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Data sources
Open-Meteo Air QualityADL Global 100OSCE Hate Crime ReportingOpenStreetMap (Synagogues)Townleap (Banking Access Research)Career MetricsEFFIS / GWIS (JRC)IEA (Future of Cooling)ND-GAIN Country IndexOpen-Meteo (ERA5 Archive)Open-Meteo (CMIP6 Climate)WRI AqueductTownleap (Computed)FBI UCR / OpenCrimeGovernment SourcesDiaspora DataUS Census Bureau (ACS)World BankEmberEF English Proficiency IndexNumbeoTownleap (Curated)Townleap (Curated)Townleap (Pediatric Healthcare Research)Numbeo HealthcareOokla SpeedtestJob Market DataWikipediaEqualdex Equality IndexGallup Migrant Acceptance IndexGallup (US immigration trend)EIU Democracy IndexCenter for Reproductive RightsOECD ITFWHO Road SafetyLevels.fyiSalary DataISD (Tuition Data)OECD PISAWikipedia (Intl. Schools)Townleap (Public School Viability)Travel AdvisoryTownleap (Computed)Numbeo Quality of LifeTownleap (Compiled Research)Our World in Data (Integrated Values Surveys)PeopleForBikesDerived from Astronomical DataWeatherSpark
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