SFCensus

Portola Housing Data

Neighborhood in San Francisco, 4 census tracts

Portola has 4,976 housing units across 4 census tracts, a mid-sized neighborhood in San Francisco. It is in ZIP code 94134. Current tenants pay a median rent of $2,097, owners value the median home at $1,212,000, and 32.2% of occupied homes are rented.

That rent is the 8th lowest of 38 neighborhoods and 15% below the citywide figure of $2,476. The figures below come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, rolled up from tract level as described in the methodology, and are part of the San Francisco housing overview.

Map of San Francisco with Portola highlighted

Portola within San Francisco

$2,097Median rent, current tenants31st of 38$1.21MMedian home value, owner estimate28th of 3732.2%Renters35th of 384.8%Vacant units37th of 38$137kMedian household income23rd of 3840.2%Rent-burdened renters19th of 383.09People per household5th of 3827.8%Homes built before 194029th of 38$1.23MZillow home value, September 202624th of 37n/aZillow asking rent by ZIP, September 2026n/aAsking rent vs rent paid$789Sale price per sq ft, September 202634th of 36

Ranks are among the 38 San Francisco neighborhoods with at least 500 homes. Census figures are ACS 2020-2024; the last four cards are Zillow market data for September 2026.

Homeownership Rate in Portola

Of 4,737 occupied homes in Portola, 1,526 are rented and 3,211 are owner-occupied. That renter share of 32.2% is the 4th lowest of 38 neighborhoods, 29.6 points below the citywide figure of 61.8%. Households average 3.09 people, 3.22 in owned homes and 2.83 in rentals.

Owners and renters in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. Renter-occupied32.2%SF 61.8%
  2. Owner-occupied67.8%SF 38.2%

See every neighborhood ranked by renter share or by homeownership rate.

Owners and Renters by Age

52.2% of households in Portola headed by someone under 35 own their home, the highest of 38 neighborhoods and 38.4 points above the citywide figure of 13.8%. The rate is 68.2% for households headed by someone 35 to 64 and 73.7% for those 65 and over.

Of the renter households here, 18.3% are headed by someone under 35, 15.9 points below the citywide figure of 34.2%, and 22.8% by someone 65 or older.

Homeownership rate by age of householder in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. Under 3552.2%SF 13.8%
  2. 35 to 6468.2%SF 43.4%
  3. 65 and over73.7%SF 51.9%
Renter households by age of householder in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. Renters under 3518.3%SF 34.2%
  2. Renters 35 to 6458.9%SF 47.3%
  3. Renters 65 and over22.8%SF 18.6%

Compare every neighborhood by homeownership under 35, 35 to 64 and 65 and over, or by the share of renters under 35 and 65 and over.

Median Rent in Portola

The median gross rent in Portola is $2,097 a month, estimated from the rent distribution of 1,418 renter households. Gross rent includes utilities. That is the 8th lowest of 38 neighborhoods and 15% below the citywide figure of $2,476.

40.2% of renter households here spend 30 percent or more of their income on rent, the Census threshold for being rent-burdened, and 18.7% spend half or more. Citywide, 39.6% of renters are rent-burdened. Compare on the median rent, rent burden and severe rent burden rankings.

Rent burden in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. Paying 30% or more40.2%SF 39.6%
  2. Paying 50% or more18.7%SF 19.8%

Median Home Value in Portola

Owners in Portola put the median value of their home at $1,212,000, the 10th lowest of 37 neighborhoods and 13% below the citywide figure of $1,394,500. This is the owner's own estimate as reported to the Census, not a sale price, so it runs below market in a rising market.

The homeowner vacancy rate, homes for sale as a share of the owner stock, is 0.0%. See the home value ranking.

Current Home Prices and Asking Rents in Portola

Zillow puts the typical home in Portola at $1,231,000 as of September 2026, the 14th lowest of 37 neighborhoods and 15% below the citywide figure of $1,441,000. That is up 7.2% over the past year and down 4.4% over five years, and the one-year change is the lowest of 37 neighborhoods. The Census value above is what owners said their home was worth, averaged over the 2020-2024 survey years. Zillow's figure is a model of what homes would sell for now, so the two are expected to differ, and Zillow's is the one to use for today's market.

Zillow has too few listings in the ZIP codes that make up Portola to report a reliable asking rent, so there is none here.

Homes in Portola sold for a median of $789 per square foot from July to September 2026, by Redfin's sales records, the 3rd lowest of 36 neighborhoods and 28% below the citywide figure of $1,103. That is up 11.9% from the same three months a year earlier and up 2.6% over five years. Price per square foot is the quickest way to compare areas where the homes differ in size, because a small condo and a large house can carry the same price tag.

Zillow typical home value in Portola, 2000 to 2026
2000 Typical home value: $382,0002001 Typical home value: $449,0002002 Typical home value: $482,0002003 Typical home value: $517,0002004 Typical home value: $593,0002005 Typical home value: $697,0002006 Typical home value: $720,0002007 Typical home value: $717,0002008 Typical home value: $631,0002009 Typical home value: $553,0002010 Typical home value: $564,0002011 Typical home value: $516,0002012 Typical home value: $561,0002013 Typical home value: $683,0002014 Typical home value: $775,0002015 Typical home value: $899,0002016 Typical home value: $926,0002017 Typical home value: $1.01M2018 Typical home value: $1.11M2019 Typical home value: $1.14M2020 Typical home value: $1.19M2021 Typical home value: $1.29M2022 Typical home value: $1.28M2023 Typical home value: $1.17M2024 Typical home value: $1.19M2025 Typical home value: $1.15M2026 Typical home value: $1.23M
Typical home value
Median sale price per square foot in Portola, 2012 to 2026
2012 Sale price per sq ft: $3502013 Sale price per sq ft: $4592014 Sale price per sq ft: $5412015 Sale price per sq ft: $6172016 Sale price per sq ft: $6222017 Sale price per sq ft: $6482018 Sale price per sq ft: $7672019 Sale price per sq ft: $7962020 Sale price per sq ft: $7962021 Sale price per sq ft: $7692022 Sale price per sq ft: $6892023 Sale price per sq ft: $7282024 Sale price per sq ft: $6932025 Sale price per sq ft: $7052026 Sale price per sq ft: $789
Sale price per sq ft

Rankings: current home values, sale price per square foot, asking rents and the asking rent premium.

Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI and ZORI, September 2026. The home value is the average of Zillow's index for Portola and University Mound, the Zillow areas inside this boundary. Zillow's areas do not match the Planning Department boundaries exactly. Method on the methodology page.

Price per square foot: Redfin, median sale price per square foot, all residential sales closed July to September 2026. It is Redfin's ZIP code figure for 94134, weighted by the homes in each ZIP, so it blends in parts of neighboring areas that share those ZIP codes.

What Residents Say About Portola

48.9% of Portola's residents feel safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night, the 4th lowest of 35 neighborhoods and 10.8 points below the citywide figure of 59.7%. During the day the figure is 72.6%. 53.1% give the cleanliness of their streets and sidewalks an A or a B, the 14th highest of 35 neighborhoods. These are the city's own resident surveys for 2023 and 2026, 113 responses from Portola.

48.9%Feel safe at night32nd of 3572.6%Feel safe during the day29th of 3553.1%Grade streets clean14th of 3541.8%Grade street pavement well21st of 3550.2%Grade sidewalks well15th of 3558.2Resident score

See how Portola compares on the best neighborhoods in San Francisco page, which sets the resident score against rents and sale prices.

Source: San Francisco City Survey, Office of the Controller, 2023 and 2026. Weighted share giving one of the two best answers, combined across both years against the citywide figure each year. With about 110 responses, differences of a few points from nearby neighborhoods are within the noise. Methodology.

Vacancy Rate in Portola

239 of Portola's 4,976 housing units were vacant when surveyed, a vacancy rate of 4.8%, the 2nd lowest of 38 neighborhoods and 7.4 points below the citywide figure of 12.2%. The Census counts a unit as vacant for any reason, including homes between tenants, second homes and units held off the market, so this is broader than the rental vacancy rate.

The rental vacancy rate, units for rent as a share of the rental stock, is 5.2% against 6.7% citywide. Why the vacant units are empty:

Reasons homes are vacant in Portola, share of vacant units
  1. For rent34.7%
  2. Rented, not yet occupied0.0%
  3. For sale0.0%
  4. Sold, not yet occupied0.0%
  5. Seasonal or occasional use0.0%
  6. Other vacant65.3%

Rankings: overall vacancy, rental vacancy and homeowner vacancy. By reason, across all 38 neighborhoods: for rent, rented but not yet occupied, for sale, sold but not yet occupied, for seasonal or occasional use and other vacant homes.

Housing Types in Portola

84.8% of homes in Portola are single-family houses, 8.6% are in two-to-four-unit buildings, and 3.1% are in buildings with 20 or more units. The single-family share is the 2nd highest of 38 neighborhoods.

Housing units by building type in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. Single-family, detached40.7%SF 18.0%
  2. Single-family, attached44.2%SF 12.4%
  3. 2 units5.2%SF 9.1%
  4. 3 or 4 units3.4%SF 11.0%
  5. 5 to 9 units1.6%SF 9.2%
  6. 10 to 19 units1.8%SF 9.2%
  7. 20 to 49 units1.3%SF 10.7%
  8. 50 or more units1.8%SF 20.1%
  9. Other0.0%SF 0.2%

Rankings by single-family share, share in two-to-four-unit buildings and share in large buildings, or by each building type: detached, attached, 2 units, 3-4 units, 5-9 units, 10-19 units, 20-49 units and 50+ units.

Age of Homes in Portola

27.8% of Portola's housing was built before 1940, the 10th lowest of 38 neighborhoods, and 2.5% has been built since 2010. Citywide the pre-1940 share is 45.2%.

Housing units in Portola by decade built
  1. 1939 or earlier27.8%
  2. 1940 to 194920.7%
  3. 1950 to 195917.0%
  4. 1960 to 196913.2%
  5. 1970 to 19797.2%
  6. 1980 to 19892.9%
  7. 1990 to 19995.6%
  8. 2000 to 20093.1%
  9. 2010 to 20192.5%
  10. 2020 or later0.0%

Rankings by pre-1940 housing and new construction, or by decade: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020+.

Median Household Income in Portola

The median household income in Portola is $136,900, the 16th lowest of 38 neighborhoods and 3% below the citywide figure of $140,970. Income and rent together drive the rent burden figure above. See the income ranking.

Portola Demographics

About 14,786 people live in Portola. Their median age is 43.7, older than San Francisco as a whole at 40.0. 19.4% of residents are under 18 and 19.8% are 65 or older; the share of older residents is the 10th highest of 38 neighborhoods. These figures come from the American Community Survey for 2020-2024, the same survey as the housing numbers above.

Age of residents in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. Under 1819.4%SF 13.7%
  2. 18 to 3416.1%SF 27.2%
  3. 35 to 6444.7%SF 41.5%
  4. 65 and over19.8%SF 17.6%

Race and Ethnicity

The largest group in Portola is Asian residents, at 64.7% of the population, 29.8 points above the citywide figure of 34.9%. Next are Hispanic or Latino residents at 17.9% and White residents at 11.3%. The Census counts Hispanic or Latino origin separately from race, so every other group here means non-Hispanic.

Race and ethnicity in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. Asian64.7%SF 34.9%
  2. White11.3%SF 36.8%
  3. Hispanic or Latino17.9%SF 16.2%
  4. Black2.0%SF 4.7%
  5. Two or more races3.6%SF 6.1%
  6. Another race *0.5%SF 1.3%

Education

37.4% of adults 25 and over in Portola have at least a bachelor's degree, the 7th lowest of 38 neighborhoods and 22.9 points below the citywide figure of 60.3%. 10.6% hold a graduate or professional degree, and 21.9% did not finish high school.

Commute

Driving alone leads the commute mix in Portola, at 45.0% of workers. 17.5% take public transit, the 19th lowest of 38 neighborhoods, and 45.0% drive alone. Citywide, 31.0% work from home and 18.7% take transit.

How workers in Portola get to work compared with San Francisco
  1. Work from home16.5%SF 31.0%
  2. Public transit17.5%SF 18.7%
  3. Drive alone45.0%SF 28.6%
  4. Walk *1.7%SF 9.4%
  5. Carpool16.6%SF 5.9%
  6. Bike *2.0%SF 3.3%

Languages and Birthplace

49.8% of people in Portola were born outside the United States, the 4th highest of 38 neighborhoods and 15.8 points above the citywide figure of 34.0%. 27.9% of residents 5 and over speak only English at home. The most common other language is Chinese, spoken at home by 41.9%.

Language spoken at home in Portola compared with San Francisco
  1. English only27.9%SF 56.4%
  2. Chinese41.9%SF 17.5%
  3. Spanish16.0%SF 11.1%
  4. Tagalog7.7%SF 2.8%
  5. Russian or other Slavic *0.9%SF 1.7%
  6. Vietnamese *2.5%SF 1.3%

Poverty

6.9% of residents in Portola live below the federal poverty line, the 10th lowest of 38 neighborhoods and 4.3 points below the citywide figure of 11.2%. The federal line is set nationally and does not adjust for San Francisco's costs, so it undercounts people who struggle to afford the city.

Compare every San Francisco neighborhood by median age, residents 65 and over, bachelor's degrees, transit commuting, foreign-born residents and poverty, or see all of them on the San Francisco demographics overview.

* Small sample: the Census margin of error on a marked figure is large compared with the estimate, so treat it as a rough guide.

Overcrowding and Turnover in Portola

12.9% of occupied homes in Portola have more than one person per room, the Census definition of overcrowding, the 4th highest of 38 neighborhoods. Citywide it is 6.0%. 2.9% of households moved in 2023 or later, a rough measure of turnover, against 6.2% citywide. Rankings: overcrowding, recent movers.

Housing Trends in Portola Since 2010

Between the 2010-2014 and 2020-2024 surveys, the median rent in Portola went from $1,508 to $2,097, up 5% after inflation. The median home value went from $608,000 to $1,212,000, up 50% in real terms, and median household income rose 39% in real terms.

Median rent in Portola, nominal and in 2024 dollars
2010-2014 Median rent, nominal: $1,508
In 2024 dollars: $1,9982015-2019 Median rent, nominal: $1,864
In 2024 dollars: $2,2872020-2024 Median rent, nominal: $2,097
In 2024 dollars: $2,097
Median rent, nominalIn 2024 dollars
Five-year ACS estimates. Earlier vintages are on 2010 census tracts, allocated to today's boundaries by land area.
SurveyPopulationHousing unitsRentersVacancyMedian rentMedian valueMedian income
2010-201415,9184,85737.6%5.5%$1,508$608k$74k
2015-201916,3234,97533.7%2.5%$1,864$876k$90k
2020-202414,7864,97632.2%4.8%$2,097$1.21M$137k

Decennial census, 2010 and 2020

The full census counts every home rather than sampling, so these figures have no margin of error. Portola's population grew 1% between 2010 and 2020 while its housing stock grew 3%.

CensusPopulationHousing unitsOccupiedVacantVacancy rateRenters
201015,6584,7134,4542605.5%36.5%
202015,8344,8444,6541903.9%40.4%

Portola ZIP Codes

Portola is in ZIP code 94134. Almost all of its homes are in that one ZIP, so the 94134 page covers it along with any neighbors that share the ZIP.

Shares are estimates. Each census tract's homes are split among the ZIP codes that overlap it, by land area, and ZIP codes with under 3% of the homes are left out. ZIP codes follow mail routes, not neighborhood lines. See every neighborhood's ZIP codes.

Map of Portola

Portola is one of the 41 Analysis Neighborhoods the San Francisco Planning Department uses for reporting, made up of 4 2020 census tracts. It sits in supervisor district 9.

Nearby: Bernal Heights, Mission. Or see all neighborhoods.

Census tracts: 025900, 025800, 025702, 025701. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25001 to B25077, B19001, B25008, B25014, B25024, B25034, B25038, B25070), 2010 SF1 and 2020 DHC; DataSF Analysis Neighborhoods crosswalk; Zillow Research ZHVI and ZORI, September 2026. Dollar figures are in 2024 dollars unless marked nominal. Full method on the methodology page.

Cite this pageFree to use with credit and a link.

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Source: SF Census (sfcensus.com), from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024

Credit line for the Zillow home value and asking rent figures

Source: SF Census (sfcensus.com), from Zillow Research ZHVI and ZORI, September 2026

Credit line for the sale price per square foot

Source: SF Census (sfcensus.com), from Redfin sales data, July to September 2026

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<a href="https://sfcensus.com/neighborhoods/portola/">SF Census: Portola Housing Data</a>

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