What is the average household income in the Bay Area?

The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area had a median household income of $107,691 in 2019, which is over 80% higher than the national median of $63,179.

Income levels vary significantly across different counties and cities within the Bay Area.

For example, the median household income in San Mateo County ($119,570) and Santa Clara County ($124,705) is much higher than in Alameda County ($82,924) or Contra Costa County ($93,712).

In 2020, nearly 35 million people in the Bay Area, or 46% of the population, were living in low or very low-income families, according to HUD standards.

An annual salary of $192,000 is considered "middle class" in San Francisco, reflecting the extremely high cost of living in the region.

Between 2015 and 2020, the Bay Area cities that saw the biggest increases in median household income were Cupertino (up 27%), Fremont (up 23%), and Milpitas (up 19%).

In 2023, a single person in San Francisco, San Mateo, or Marin County is considered "low income" if they earn less than $104,000 per year, underscoring the region's astronomical living costs.

The Bay Area's median household income generally increased at a steady rate over the past decade, rising by 15% between 2010 and 2020 as the regional economy expanded.

Despite the high overall incomes, income inequality remains a significant issue in the Bay Area, with the bottom 30% of households still considered "rent-burdened" as of 2019.

The average salary in San Francisco is $119,136, which is nearly double the national median household income, reflecting the concentration of high-paying jobs in the tech industry.

Household income distribution in the San Francisco area shows a clear divide, with the top 5% of households earning significantly more than the middle and lower quintiles.

Between 2010 and 2019, the average rent burden decreased slightly for households in the bottom 10% of the Bay Area income distribution, from 96% to 92% of their income.

The high cost of living in the Bay Area, particularly for housing, is a major driver of the elevated income levels, as workers in the region's tech and other high-paying industries need to earn more to afford the area's steep living expenses.