What it's like to live in Daly City
Daly City is a mid-size city in California with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and public transit that many commuters actually use. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Daly City deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Daly City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Daly City
Based on Daly City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,102
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $102,040 a year
- 54% of Daly City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$223,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $111,500
- Homes cost 9.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 81% above US
$2,551/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,551 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,115,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,115,000 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 12% below US
3.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 23% below US
254 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1380/100k · Daly City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 11% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% take public transit; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 62°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 46°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
20 public schools inside the boundary
There are 20 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Point National Historic Site (8 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Daly City's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,551/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home) and people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Daly City
All California guides →Moving to San Bruno →
5 mi away · pop. 42,307
Rent $2,773/mo · Income $141,272
Compare with Daly City →Moving to San Francisco →
7 mi away · pop. 830,235
Rent $2,476/mo · Income $140,970
Compare with Daly City →Not sure Daly City is the one?
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