San Francisco is known for its fun-loving, artsy atmosphere and fascinating architecture. It also has a population of over 7.7 million people in the entire Bay Area, and with Silicon Valley in the area, the San Francisco suburbs attract people from all walks of life. If you’re looking to buy a piece of San Francisco real estate, here are some of the 5 best suburbs of San Francisco to consider.
Berkeley
Best Suburb of San Francisco for: Young Professionals
Across the bay to the northeast of San Francisco is Berkeley, with a population of around 125K. Berkeley is most known as a college town and is home to the University of California, which produces a highly-educated population. Berkeley offers stunning views like at Grizzly Peak, great hiking at Tilden Regional Park, and Telegraph Avenue is a vibrant place for shops, artists, and awesome food. Berkeley also has a lively nightlife that appeases its young community (average age, 32).
Berkeley real estate is primarily made up of one to three-bedroom single-family homes, though you will find some condos and townhomes too. Homes for sale in Berkeley were mainly constructed pre-1940s, though several homes were built from the ‘40s to ‘70s and even a few since then. The median home price in Berkeley is roughly $1.5M. Condos for sale in Berkeley have a wide range starting at $450K all the way up to $1.5M. Because Berkeley is home to many college students and young professionals, the rental market is hot. This means the opportunity to invest in multi-family homes for sale in Berkeley is available too.
Benicia
Best Suburb of San Francisco for: Business Professionals + Families
A bedroom community about 38 miles northeast of San Francisco and 61 miles southwest of Sacramento is the city of Benicia, with a population of around 28K. Benicia is in the north bay area along the banks of Carquinez Strait, Benicia Shoals, and the Suisun Point Channel.
Nearly all the shopping, dining, and other businesses are located along First Street, a popular place to be around meal times. The Benicia Unified School District serves the area and is a sought-after district for families.
The Benicia real estate is primarily split up into three separate areas of the city. The East End and the West End are where you’ll find most of the older homes, while Southampton (northside of I-780) will have newer homes. Most of the homes for sale in Benicia are single-family homes with two to four bedrooms, but you will see several condos and townhomes here too. The median home price in Benicia is roughly $844K. Townhomes and condos for sale in Benicia range from $350K to $800K.
Danville
Best Suburb of San Francisco for: Families
Directly east of San Francisco is the community-centric city of Danville, with a population of about 45K. Danville provides a fun environment for families to raise their children. Statistics also showed that Danville is the #1 safest city in California!
There are all kinds of extracurricular activities here, from horseback riding to soccer to tennis, and it feeds into some excellent schools. Danville is also in close proximity to just about everything you can imagine: if you want to go to the beach, it’s about an hour; if you want to go to the mountains, it’s about an hour in another direction.
The vast majority of Danville real estate is made up of three and four-bedroom single-family homes, though there are a few townhomes and condos. The median price of homes for sale in Danville is $2.3M. Condos and townhomes in Danville have a wide range starting at $555K up to $1.5M.
Livermore
Best Suburb of San Francisco for: Business Professionals + Active Families
Located further east from San Francisco in the Livermore Valley is the city of Livermore, with a population of about 92K. Livermore is a city that stands on its own as a competitive neighbor to Silicon Valley with companies like the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and other major companies.
Established families and business professionals are drawn to Livermore because of the convenient proximity to work (whether here in the city or closer to San Francisco), the beautiful wine country that surrounds them, and the schools and extracurricular activities available to their kids.
For fun, residents of Livermore tour the wine country, shop at name-brand stores in the Livermore Premium Outlets, and enjoy the vibrant downtown area full of shops and restaurants. There’s also a theater and a performing arts center close by.
The majority of Livermore real estate is made up of single-family homes with three to four bedrooms, though condos and townhomes are common too. Homes for sale in Livermore date back to the 1930s, and you’ll still find some new construction homes today. The median home price in Livermore is roughly $1.15M. Townhomes and condos for sale in Livermore start at $380K and top out around $1.15M.
Pleasanton
Best Suburb of San Francisco for: Business Professionals + Families
About 40 miles east of San Francisco and right next door to Livermore is Pleasanton, with a population of around 80K. The name is as it suggests: pleasant in that it has a strong workforce as a satellite city to Silicon Valley, but not as fast-paced and relatively more affordable. There are also plenty of things to do without having to leave Pleasanton like the Fairgrounds, parks like Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, the Firehouse Arts Center, a downtown farmers’ market, and the Ruby Hill Winery.
Downtown Pleasanton has a concentration of older and smaller two to three-bedroom homes dating back to the ‘40s, while places like Ruby Hill offer larger mansions in a gated, country club setting. The Pleasanton real estate market is predominantly single-family homes likely constructed from the 1970s to 2000. There are several condos and townhomes in Pleasanton too. The median home price in Pleasanton is roughly $1.7M. Townhomes range from $674K and top out around $1.4M, while condos for sale in Pleasanton start at $425K to an upwards of $1.25M.
Best Suburbs Around San Francisco, CA
We hope you found this information helpful when learning about the 5 best suburbs of San Francisco. Several San Francisco real estate agents are willing to help you find what you need. You’ll want to be sure to gather a list of questions to ask before hiring a real estate agent.
