San Francisco County, California

County Distress Index: Healthy · 29.2 | 808,988 people · 56th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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San Francisco County, CA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.2 — 2914th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within California, it ranks 56th of 58 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. San Francisco County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 74.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 74.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 44
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 100
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Employment & Wages 34.7
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 3
Income & Poverty 17.9
Poverty Rate 37
Income vs. State Median 3
Child Poverty Rate 14
Debt & Delinquency 11.0
Debt in Collections 3
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 26
Credit Card Delinquency 6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 15
Community Vulnerability 7.5
Uninsured Rate 4
Disability Rate 11

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How San Francisco County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. San Francisco County
San Francisco County, CA 29.2 Healthy —
Contra Costa County, CA 41.1 Normal +11.9
Alameda County, CA 38.7 Normal +9.6
Marin County, CA 34.2 Healthy +5.1
San Mateo County, CA 27.5 Healthy -1.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. San Francisco County
Bucks County, PA 29.8 Healthy +0.6
DuPage County, IL 28.5 Healthy -0.7
Brown County, WI 30.1 Healthy +1.0
Davis County, UT 28.1 Healthy -1.1
Rockingham County, NH 30.4 Healthy +1.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for San Francisco County as a CSV file.

Find Help in San Francisco County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near San Francisco County.

ASIAN INCORPORATED
SAN FRANCISCO
415-928-5910-6 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing
BALANCE - SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco
800-777-7526 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
BALANCE-SF 3RD STREET
San Francisco
888-456-2227 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
MISSION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (MEDA)
San Francisco
415-282-3334 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
San Francisco
415-822-1022 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase

See all counselors in California →

Find an Attorney

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer 1-866-442-2529

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving San Francisco County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) 1-800-399-4529
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) 1-800-433-6251
Bay Area Legal Aid 1-800-551-5554
Legal Services of Northern California 1-800-822-9687
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) 1-800-337-0690
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) 1-888-245-4257
Legal Aid Society of San Diego 1-877-534-2524
Community Legal Aid SoCal 1-800-834-5001
California Indian Legal Services, Inc. (760) 746-8941
Central California Legal Services (800) 675-8001
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. (661) 325-5943

Self-Help Resources

California Courts Self-Help — Foreclosure and Mortgage Help Official California courts self-help resource with information on foreclosure procedures, homeowner rights, tenant protections in foreclosure, and links to free legal help.
LawHelpCA — Foreclosure Prevention Statewide legal aid directory connecting Californians with free legal information and local legal aid providers for foreclosure prevention, including links to self-help guides and intake forms.
California Attorney General — Homeowner Bill of Rights Official AG page explaining HBOR protections, including fact sheets on dual-tracking prohibition, single point of contact, and how to file a complaint about servicer violations.
DFPI Mortgage Relief Resources DFPI consumer resources for housing and mortgage issues, including information on PACE financing, foreclosure scam alerts, and how to file complaints against licensees.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in California →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for San Francisco County, California?

    San Francisco County has a County Distress Index score of 29.2 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,914th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in San Francisco County?

    The primary driver of distress in San Francisco County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 74.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does San Francisco County compare to neighboring counties?

    San Francisco County (29.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Contra Costa County, CA (41.1); Alameda County, CA (38.7); Marin County, CA (34.2).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of San Francisco County?

    San Francisco County, California has a population of approximately 808,988 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.