HEAD TO HEAD
New York vs San Francisco
San Francisco leads New York on 3 of 5 factors — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
New York, NY
wins 2 of 5 factors
San Francisco, CA
wins 3 of 5 factors
Match scores, side by side
| Factor | New York | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable to buy | 59 ◆ | 31 |
| Affordable to rent | 4 | 13 ◆ |
| Climate comfort | 64 | 70 ◆ |
| Plenty of sunshine | 40 | 64 ◆ |
| Big-city amenities | 100 ◆ | 97 |
By the numbers
| Figure | New York | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $728K | $1,149K |
| Typical rent | $3,503/mo | $3,258/mo |
| Average temperature | 12.3°C | 13.6°C |
| Sunshine (solar energy) | 3.92 kWh/m²/day | 4.74 kWh/m²/day |
| Metro size rank (US) | #1 | #12 |
Home & rent Zillow, May 2026 · climate & sunshine NASA POWER climatology. Scores are normalised 0–100 across all metros; higher is better. A research aid, not advice.