One thing that really stumps people in San Francisco is the weather. The weather in San Francisco is very nuanced. Sometimes when I’m touring homes I make my way from the north end of town all the way to the south end of town and I have to start with a jacket, then a T-shirt, and end in a jacket. If you’ve lived in San Francisco for a while you know that you should always dress in layers. If you’re looking for a place to live and you want to understand the weather that can be very difficult.
This map gives you a general idea of San Francisco’s weather by neighborhood. However, it can be more nuanced than this. For example, the Noe Valley neighborhood looks to be very sunny. But depending on which block in Noe Valley you are on and how close you are to Diamond Heights you could experience more sun and fog. As you’re deciding where to live we can walk you through each neighborhood. It’s a good idea to spend some time in the neighborhoods to get a feel for it. There’s nothing better than your own experience.
As you look at the microclimate map one thing you’ll notice is that the further west and south you are the weather is foggier, windier, and gets less sun. As you make your way to the north and east parts of the city things tend to get more sunshine. There are some neighborhoods in-between where there is variability between those weather patterns.
In San Francisco, you pay more for sun. Home prices in sunny areas are about 20% higher than in other microclimates. When people are very stretched budget-wise and they’re trying to buy a home in a place like the Mission District, Noe Valley, or Bernal Heights we often have to assess how important sunny weather is to them. If you’re willing to give that up and move a little further west you’ll find you get a lot more for your money. This is just one of the things we do with our buyers to help them understand what levers they can pull in order to optimize their budget for their particular circumstances.
We have a lot more data on microclimates and real estate data by neighborhood. If questions arise about buying or selling in San Francisco please reach out to us.
