The popularity of high -priced subway grows among local home buyers: Why are they staying firm while others flee the big cities

After a period of urban flight hustle from a crisis of homelessness and a decline in the quality of life, San Francisco seems to be turning a corner, with fewer residents now seeking to leave.

San Francisco has gained popularity among locals, as only 62.9% of the list views went home to the outside markets in Spring 2025, from 68.9% six years, according to a new report by Realtor.com®.

Economist Joyyi XU studied the 100 largest American meters for the inter-market question, focusing on the views of Realtor.com lists and comparing how many users from outside the well were watching homes in a city versus the property of local browsing.

She found that in all four regions, more than half of online shopping traffic went home outside the current subway areas of the buyer.

But this trend was a bit different in San Francisco, who has managed to win over the premises, despite the high cost of the city, high city prices, home prices and increasing unemployment levels.

In June, the price of the average list in widespread West Coast metro reached $ 998,500, with 4% from the same period of action six years.

During that period, the unemployment rate in San Francisco increased from 2.3% in May 2019 to 3.9% in May 2025.

Comparison

And yet, more San Franciscans are standing and looking to buy local houses.

One of the main factors behind this startling trend, according to XU, is that some of the future meters are even less affordable than San Francisco.

The nearby city of San Jose, located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

A month ago, San Jose’s average home price was even higher, reaching $ 1,419,000, demanding that the typical winner spend more than 72% of their income, assuming a 20% pay and a 30-year fixed rate of 6.82%, according to Realtor.com research.

By comparison, a person earning average income in San Francisco should have set aside less than 60% of their salary to cover housing expenses.

“While Metro San Francisco remains expensive, prices have cooled by their [COVID-19] The events of the Pandemia era, making the introduction somewhat more feasible for some buyers, ”explains XU.

Gradual Return I In the city center of San Francisco

Another possible reason for the increasing attraction of the San Francisco home market is the city’s urban improvement plan, marked by the lowest crime levels and the cleanest roads.

Mayor Daniel Lurie, who entered office in January, has pledged to handle crime, use of Open-Iir drugs, and spread homeless camps, all of which severely lowered foot traffic and sent businesses fleeing the gloomy area in the city center for several years.

Democrat’s attempt -and the heir to Levi Strauss -to clear and revitalize the area in the city center has shown early signs of progress, including a significant decline in crime and the number of road camps.

His early initiatives have included cleansing of implementation at well -known hot drugs and a mandate for drug drugs offered by the city to be distributed only along with references to counseling and recovery services.

The housing market in downtown San Francisco has been significantly destroyed in response to Lurie’s efforts, at the average list price in May raising more than 50% year a year.

He is also a lot of technology players or moving or staying in the city, and technology leaders say the golden rush of artificial intelligence, with hundreds of billions of dollars in the line, will play a major in Woo continuation works in San Francisco.

“This is because of what San Francisco has returned,” said Nvidia Jensen Huang CEO last month at Hill & Valley Forum.

“Whoever lives in San Francisco, you will know what I’m talking about. Only for everyone evacuated San Francisco,” he said. “Now it’s blooming again. It’s all because of it.”

Six meters saw a drop in home shopping out of the market in the spring of 2025 compared to six years ago ›.

Portland, or, at the top of the list, with only 57.9% of the list views going home to other areas, with nearly 10% from 2019.

San Francisco was in second place, with a change of six -year shares of 5.9%, followed by Houston, TX, boasting a 4% change in home purchases outside the market.

“These markets generally share traits such as relative affordability, different work opportunities, sustainable employment and easy access to nature and external equipment,” notes XU.