San Franciscans flee city as insanely expensive costs bite — here’s where they’re going

Residents are continuing to trickle out of San Francisco — but new data reveals most are not going that far.

More people left the city than moved in between 2022 and 2023, part of a broader pattern hitting all nine Bay Area counties, according to tax return data from the IRS obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.

In raw numbers, roughly 6,500 more residents departed San Francisco for other parts of the U.S. than arrived during that one-year span — a net domestic migration decline of about 1%, according to newly released migration data from the Internal Revenue Service.

While that outflow remains negative, it marks a slight improvement from the years leading up to the pandemic, when the city was losing residents at a faster clip.

Analysts suggest the easing may be tied in part to return-to-office mandates, which have nudged more workers back into the region.

Still, the bigger picture shows a city that hasn’t fully bounced back.

Population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate the San Francisco metro area remains about 2.6% smaller than it was in early 2020.

And for many who are leaving, the destination is nearby.

The most popular landing spot was San Mateo County, which drew more than 23,000 former San Francisco residents between 2020 and 2023 — roughly 14% of all those who moved out, the Chronicle reported, citing IRS data.

Other common destinations included Alameda County and Contra Costa County, suggesting many are opting for relatively close relocations rather than leaving the region altogether.

San Mateo County, founded in 1856 on the SF Peninsula, is a high-income region known as the “Capital of Venture Capital” (home to Meta) and for its 455 square miles of scenic coast, parks, and bayside. It boasts a high quality of life with 20 cities, top tech employers, and rich biodiversity, yet remains vulnerable to environmental hazards, according to its website.

Some movers are heading farther afield. 

New York County, specifically Manhattan, ranked among the top destinations, drawing more than 5,000 former San Franciscans over the same period.

Altogether, about 170,000 people left San Francisco between 2020 and 2023, with the overwhelming majority relocating within California.

Counties like Los Angeles County and San Diego County also made the list of top destinations.

The IRS data — based on address changes reported on consecutive tax filings — offers one of the most detailed looks at how Americans are moving, though it does not capture every resident.

Across the wider Bay Area, every county posted a net loss of domestic migrants during the most recent period, underscoring a regional shift that has reshaped population trends in the early 2020s.

Despite the slowdown in departures, the numbers suggest that for many residents, the Bay Area’s high cost of living is still pushing them to look elsewhere — even if “elsewhere” is just a short drive away.

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