Health Profile of San Francisco, California
San Francisco Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A+
San Francisco Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | San Francisco | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 81.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 3.3% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in San Francisco is 81.9 years, about 2.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 3.3%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.0% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
287,055 residents in San Francisco are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 21,481 7,489 men · 13,991 women
- 75–84 40,590 18,497 men · 22,093 women
- 65–74 72,940 34,932 men · 38,008 women
- 50–64 152,045 82,314 men · 69,731 women
Younger residents
107,691 residents in San Francisco are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 31,045 15,706 boys · 15,339 girls
- 7–12 30,202 15,528 boys · 14,674 girls
- 3–7 25,655 13,200 boys · 12,455 girls
- 0–3 20,789 10,632 boys · 10,157 girls
About 31,767 residents in San Francisco (3.8% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 81.9 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | San Francisco | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.8% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.9% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.5% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 19.4% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of obesity in San Francisco is about 36% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in San Francisco is about 30% lower than in California. The rate of cancer in San Francisco is about 22% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | San Francisco | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 9.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 18.1% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 17.2% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in San Francisco is about 33% lower than in California. The rate of sedentary lifestyle in San Francisco is about 21% lower than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 673,103 cigarettes a day, 20.2 million a month, or 245.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.4 million minutes a day and 2.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Francisco is 81.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.17 lifetimes a day, or 63 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | San Francisco | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.34 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.3 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in San Francisco is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, San Francisco, California has an overall health index grade of A+, making it notably better than California, and far better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in San Francisco, California.
How healthy is San Francisco, California?
San Francisco, California has a Map AI Health Index grade of A+, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A+ grade means residents are among the healthiest and longest-living in the country.
What is the average lifespan in San Francisco, California?
People in San Francisco, California can expect to live 81.9 years on average, 2.2 years longer than the California average of 79.6.
What percentage of San Francisco, California residents are uninsured?
3.3% of residents in San Francisco, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 30 people, 3.3 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
What percentage of San Francisco, California residents are obese?
19.4% of adults in San Francisco, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 5, 11.2 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in San Francisco, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 673,103 cigarettes a day, 20.2 million a month, or 245.7 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 7.4 million minutes a day and 2.7 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Francisco is 81.9 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.17 lifetimes a day, or 63 lifetimes a year.
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