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San Francisco, CA Commercial Real Estate Market Trends & Data
What Are Current Commercial Real Estate Benchmarks in San Francisco?
San Francisco commercial properties are averaging $588 per square foot to buy and $492 per square foot to lease, with cap rates near 6.16% across asset types. The data below covers sale prices, lease rates, cap rates, and building sizes by property type to support early-stage market evaluation.
Explore Commercial Properties in San Francisco
Browse properties currently for sale or lease to see how local market pricing and building sizes translate into real opportunities.
San Francisco's Demographic Profile
San Francisco has 330,111 households and a median income of $128,655, providing context for rent absorption and tenant demand across retail and multifamily assets. A -8% five-year population trend is a key signal for evaluating long-term demand in this market.
| Key Demographic Metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 777,336 |
| # Households | 330,111 |
| Median age | 42 |
| Median household income | $128,655 |
| Avg household size | 2 |
| Renter-occupied housing units | 220,085 |
| 5-year population change | -8% |
Commercial Real Estate Market Snapshot in San Francisco
Use the benchmarks below to set initial underwriting baselines for San Francisco, typical deal size, entry costs, and cap rate ranges by asset type before evaluating individual listings.
| Key Market Metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Avg asking sale price | $588 per SF |
| Avg asking lease rate | $492 per SF |
| Avg unit size for lease | 31,592 SF |
| Avg building size for sale | 11,832 SF |
| Average cap rate | 6.16% |
The 6.16% average cap rate reflects current return expectations relative to San Francisco pricing and deal scale. Use this alongside asking prices and lease rates to establish initial underwriting assumptions.
Commercial Properties For Sale In San Francisco
The listings below reflect how current market pricing and building scale translate into active opportunities available today.
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Commercial Market Metrics by Property Type
Office Building Market Metrics Near San Francisco
Office market metrics highlight how pricing, typical deal size, and return expectations vary across submarkets, helping investors compare entry costs and yield potential efficiently.
| Nearby Office Markets | Avg Cost/SF | Typical Size | Cap Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $603 | 10,629 SF | 10.98% |
| Alameda | $316 | 16,127 SF | 10.29% |
| Sausalito | $608 | 6,570 SF | 5.08% |
| Emeryville | $436 | 7,910 SF | 6.40% |
| Burlingame | $985 | 10,940 SF | 7.88% |
Industrial Property Market Metrics Near San Francisco
Industrial market data shows how cost per square foot and typical building size differ by submarket, supporting comparisons around deal scale and pricing alignment.
| Nearby Industrial Markets | Avg Cost/SF | Typical Size | Cap Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $533 | 16,297 SF | 7.00% |
| South San Francisco | $559 | 12,114 SF | 6.01% |
| San Bruno | $427 | 12,407 SF | 4.70% |
| Burlingame | $741 | 18,585 SF | 7.88% |
Retail Property Market Metrics Near San Francisco
Retail pricing varies widely across nearby markets, making this comparison useful for identifying where cost per square foot and deal size diverge most.
| Nearby Retail Markets | Avg Cost/SF | Typical Size |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $666 | 7,696 SF |
| South San Francisco | $664 | 20,504 SF |
| Alameda | $384 | 10,360 SF |
| Emeryville | $509 | 3,721 SF |
| Burlingame | $977 | 5,971 SF |
Multifamily Property Market Metrics Near San Francisco
Multifamily metrics show how pricing and building size relate to observed cap rate ranges, helping investors evaluate income potential relative to entry cost.
| Nearby Multifamily Markets | Avg Cost/SF | Typical Size | Cap Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $567 | 6,774 SF | 9.20% |
| South San Francisco | $413 | 3,493 SF | 6.58% |
| Pacifica | $481 | 5,800 SF | 5.68% |
| Alameda | $316 | 28,401 SF | 8.64% |
| Burlingame | $651 | 5,832 SF | 3.74% |
How Investors Evaluate Commercial Real Estate Markets in San Francisco
Use these tools to move from market-level signals to deal-level math. Each calculator helps translate San Francisco pricing, rents, and building size into concrete metrics like value, income, and space requirements, so you can validate assumptions before spending time on individual listings.
Nearby Commercial Markets
Comparing nearby markets helps investors see whether San Francisco pricing and building scale sit above, below, or in line with surrounding areas.
| Commercial Markets | Avg Cost/SF | Average Size |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $588 | 11,832 SF |
| Brisbane | $472 | 5,736 SF |
| Colma | $268 | 8,205 SF |
| Daly City | $594 | 14,090 SF |
| South San Francisco | $554 | 40,620 SF |
Multifamily For Sale In San Francisco
Multifamily listings shown here connect market pricing and cap rate patterns with income-producing opportunities currently available.
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Regional Demographic Comparison
This comparison places San Francisco alongside nearby cities to show how population size, household counts, and income levels differ across the region. Viewing these markets side by side helps investors understand whether local demand and income characteristics are concentrated in San Francisco or distributed across surrounding areas.
| City | Population | # Households | Age | MedianHouseholdIncome | AvgHouseholdSize | RenterOccupiedHousingUnits | FiveYrPopGrowthPct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 777,336 | 330,111 | 42 | $128,655 | 2 | 220,085 | -8% |
| Brisbane | 4,433 | 1,779 | 45 | $126,109 | 3 | 662 | -6% |
| Colma | 1,152 | 399 | 44 | $103,688 | 3 | 233 | -9% |
| Daly City | 94,537 | 28,588 | 42 | $103,334 | 3 | 13,272 | -6% |
| South San Francisco | 20,527 | 6,950 | 44 | $132,000 | 3 | 2,554 | -6% |
FAQs About Commercial Investing in San Francisco
View All Commercial Real Estate For Sale in San Francisco
Is San Francisco a good market for a first-time commercial real estate investor?
San Francisco offers commercial properties across a wide range of sizes and price points. By reviewing the market data and benchmarks on this page, first-time investors can better understand what a typical commercial property looks like before committing capital and narrowing in on specific listings.
How can this market data help me decide whether to buy commercial property for my business in San Francisco?
The pricing and size metrics on this page help business owners compare the cost of ownership against leasing in San Francisco. Typical building sizes and asking prices provide a starting point for evaluating space needs, budget fit, and long term occupancy costs before engaging lenders or brokers.
What should conservative investors focus on when evaluating commercial properties in San Francisco?
Conservative investors often prioritize manageable deal sizes, stable pricing ranges, and cap rate benchmarks shown for San Francisco. These metrics help assess whether current market conditions support steady income potential without relying on aggressive assumptions.
How does San Francisco compare to nearby commercial real estate markets?
Nearby market comparisons highlight differences in pricing, building scale, and cap rate ranges relative to San Francisco. Reviewing these side by side helps experienced investors identify relative value, pricing premiums, or alternative markets that may better align with return targets.
How can this page support early-stage deal screening for San Francisco acquisitions?
This page provides high-level benchmarks for pricing, deal size, and observed cap rates in San Francisco, which are useful for initial market filtering. Institutional and data-driven investors often use these signals to prioritize listings that meet size, pricing, and return thresholds before deeper underwriting.
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