Where Are People Moving in San Francisco, CA?
IRS county-to-county migration, 2023 tax year (released about two years after the tax year it covers).
People moving in
30,402
People moving out
30,784
Net migration
-6,507
San Francisco, CA is a net loser of residents. In the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), 30,402 people moved in and 30,784 moved out, for a net loss of -6,507. Net outflows can soften local rent and price growth over time, though the cause matters as much as the number.
Migration is most useful read alongside the rest of the market. People move for jobs, affordability, climate, and lifestyle, and where they come from and go to says a lot about what a county is competing on. Below are the specific counties driving San Francisco, CA’s flows in each direction.
Top counties people moved to San Francisco, CA from
| Origin county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CACalifornia | 3,710 | 5,242 |
| Alameda, CACalifornia | 3,459 | 4,335 |
| Santa Clara, CACalifornia | 3,335 | 3,924 |
| Los Angeles, CACalifornia | 1,877 | 2,162 |
| Contra Costa, CACalifornia | 1,661 | 2,309 |
| San Diego, CACalifornia | 836 | 973 |
| New York, NYNew York | 804 | 962 |
| King, WAWashington | 790 | 902 |
| Marin, CACalifornia | 786 | 1,035 |
| Orange, CACalifornia | 641 | 730 |
Top counties people left San Francisco, CA for
| Destination county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo, CACalifornia | 4,514 | 7,071 |
| Alameda, CACalifornia | 3,938 | 5,527 |
| Los Angeles, CACalifornia | 2,100 | 2,621 |
| Contra Costa, CACalifornia | 2,092 | 3,554 |
| Santa Clara, CACalifornia | 2,061 | 2,813 |
| New York, NYNew York | 1,653 | 1,798 |
| Marin, CACalifornia | 1,364 | 2,272 |
| San Diego, CACalifornia | 927 | 1,189 |
| Kings, NYNew York | 885 | 989 |
| King, WAWashington | 696 | 880 |
“Returns” counts tax returns (a household proxy) that moved along each flow; “People” counts the individuals on those returns, when reported. IRS aggregate and foreign pseudo-rows are excluded. Informational only, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Are people moving to San Francisco, CA or leaving?
San Francisco, CA had a net loss of -6,507 residents in the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), with 30,402 people moving in and 30,784 moving out. Net migration is inflow minus outflow.
Where are people moving to San Francisco, CA from?
The largest sources of new San Francisco, CA residents are San Mateo, CA, Alameda, CA, Santa Clara, CA. The full top-ten list of origin counties is in the table above.
Where do people leaving San Francisco, CA go?
People leaving San Francisco, CA most often move to San Mateo, CA, Alameda, CA, Los Angeles, CA. The full top-ten list of destination counties is in the table above.
What does San Francisco, CA migration mean for housing?
Migration is a leading demand signal. Sustained net inflows tend to support rents and home prices when supply cannot keep up, while net outflows can soften them. Read this alongside San Francisco, CA's price forecast, building permits, and affordability on the full county dashboard before drawing a conclusion.
How current is this San Francisco, CA migration data?
It comes from IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, which is released about two years after the tax year it covers; the figures above reflect the 2023 tax year. That lag is normal for this dataset, which counts actual tax returns rather than survey estimates.