Dogpatch, Mishpot, Mission Bay, and Potrero Hill Have Younger Populations, Newer Housing, More Renters

Dogpatch and Mission Bay are amongst the last neighborhoods to be settled in San Francisco. More than 50 percent of these communities’ housing stock was built in the 21st Century, compared to 12 percent citywide. Eighty-nine percent of Mission Bay’s residences were constructed over the past 23 years, on land that’d previously served as a rail center. Mission Bay has no housing built before 1940, compared to 46 percent citywide. Seventy-two percent of homes in Dogpatch, an industrial node during the 20th Century, were built in the 21st Century. 

While Potrero Hill and Mishpot have a higher than city-wide percent of new housing, 42 percent of the Hill’s and 60 percent of Mishpot’s housing was built pre-1940. 

Mission Bay is dominated by tenants, with 62 percent of residences rented. Dogpatch’s fraction is even higher; 64 percent renters, with Mispot’s at 60 percent. The Hill is 50 percent renters, with 40 percent of homes owner-occupied. Vacancy rates throughout these communities consistently hover around the citywide average of 10 percent. 

In the four neighborhoods combined 37 percent of residents are between the ages of 20 to 34. Dogpatch drives this demographic trend; 44 percent of its residents fall within that age range. Thirty-seven percent of Mission Bay inhabitants are 20- to 34-year-olds, with Potrero Hill at 32 percent and Mishpot meeting the city-average of 28 percent. 

Mission Bay features wide sidewalks and a network of paths and green spaces – including Mission Creek Park – that provide pedestrian and bike access along the waterfront. These amenities, along with ready access to the Muni T-Line, would seem to reduce the need to rely on a car. However, a bit more than half of residents in the four neighborhoods own an automobile, far above the city-wide average of 42 percent. In Mission Bay 57 percent of households own one vehicle, with another 11 percent possessing two. Mission Bay’s household income is akin to that in adjacent neighborhoods, as is the crime rate. 

The Potrero View utilized Mission Local’s “Explore: Your Neighborhood in Data” interactive tool to examine built environment and demographic characteristics.