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Daly City vs Pacifica

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (4.9× in Pacifica) and conserved land (+33.4 pts in Pacifica).

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Daly City, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 101,964 people
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Pacifica, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 37,261 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Daly CityAn outdoors town
Outdoors#50 most walkable in CA8.6 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 82%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Schools#157 for schools in CAof 574 towns All about Daly City →
PacificaAn outdoors town
Outdoors#27 most conserved land in CA42 miles of trails across 17 parks and preserves Schools#75 for schools in CAof 574 towns HealthHealthier than 92%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Pacifica →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails4.9×
Pacifica has more miles of trail
Pacifica 42.1 miDaly City 8.6 mi
Conserved land+33.4 pts
Pacifica has more conserved land
Pacifica 42.7%Daly City 9.3%
Street grid2.6×
Daly City has the more walkable street grid
Daly City 148Pacifica 57.7
Household income+30%
Households in Pacifica earn more
Pacifica $160,523Daly City $123,547
Work from home+8.4 pts
More people work from home in Pacifica
Pacifica 23.6%Daly City 15.2%
Rent+21%
Rent runs higher in Pacifica
Pacifica $3,098Daly City $2,551
★ What stands out · Report cards

Pacifica places higher on 13 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
CDaly CitySafer than 30% of U.S. towns B−PacificaSafer than 53% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−Daly CityBetter than 48% of districts in the state A−PacificaBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
A−Daly CityHealthier than 82% of U.S. towns APacificaHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns
8Daly City
13Pacifica

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #50#506 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #340#57 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #255#106 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #266#27 SafestSafety · 411 towns #206#84 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #410#161 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #328#103 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #340#156

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Daly City’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $860 more a month in Pacifica

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Daly City$6,390/mo
Typical home $1.12M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.58% · or rent about $2,551/mo · Housing →
Pacifica$7,250/mo
Typical home $1.26M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $3,098/mo · Housing →

The difference: $860 a month, about $10,300 a year, between Pacifica and Daly City.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Daly City and Pacifica share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Daly CityPacificaDaly CityPacifica
Daly City ↔ Pacifica6.6 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
539 Pacifica residents work in Daly City (3.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Pacifica →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Daly CityPacifica
Snow a year0″0″
January low45°F45°F
July high69°F69°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th89th
Outdoors & history
Daly CityPacifica
Trails9 mi42 mi
Conserved land9.3%42.7%
National Register places—2
Archive photos112
Famous people born here206
Community
Daly CityPacifica
Library hours a week46 hrs57 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Daly CityPacifica
People
Population 101,964Highest 37,261Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.7%Lowest CA: +6.1% +3.8%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 42.6±0.9Lowest 12% above CA 44.6±1.4Highest 18% above CA
Pacifica and Daly City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 14.4%±0.9Lowest CA: 22% 18.2%±1.7Highest CA: 22%
Age 65+ 20.5%±1.1Highest CA: 15.7% 20.4%±1.7Lowest CA: 15.7%
Daly City and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 38.9%Lowest CA: 37.1% 48.9%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.8%±0.9Highest CA: 7.6% 6.1%±1.2Lowest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $123,547±$5kLowest 25% above CA $160,523±$13kHighest 62% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,115,000±$17kLowest 52% above CA $1,249,800±$36kHighest 70% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,551±$88Lowest 25% above CA $3,098±$184Highest 52% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,442Lowest 26% above CA $7,933Highest 55% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.7%±4.8Highest CA: 55.3% 51.4%±7.1Lowest CA: 55.3%
Daly City and Pacifica are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.7%Highest CA: 12% 5.8%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 60.2%Lowest CA: 55.9% 67.7%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 11 yrs older than CA 1966Highest 10 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minHighest about the CA average 27 minLowest 5% below CA
Work from home 15.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 17.2% 23.6%±2.5Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 7%Lowest 8.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miLowest 12.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.35Highest 0.27Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (40%)San Francisco (33%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Pacifica3% work in Daly City
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 9.3%Lowest 42.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 8.6 miLowest 42.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miLowest 3.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 18Highest 17Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 148Highest 57.7Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #157 of 574 in CA#75 of 574 in CA
School district Summit Public School: Shasta District · Bayshore ElementaryJefferson Union High · Pacifica
High school in town Westmoor HighTerra Nova High
Students per teacherat that high school 19.9Lowest 20.0Highest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Daly City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Daly City’s Town Square.

Pacifica neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pacifica’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Daly City

S
+ Compare
San Francisco830,235 people · $1.39M homes
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South San Francisco64,305 people · $1.19M homes
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Brisbane4,692 people · $1.23M homes
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Colma1,636 people · $1.06M homes

Towns like Daly City

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Napa78,239 people · $856K homes
S
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San Buenaventura (Ventura)109,857 people · $827K homes
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San Leandro87,826 people · $844K homes
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Concord124,035 people · $798K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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