Report Reveals San Francisco’s Ongoing Struggles Post-Pandemic Exodus

A recent report highlights that San Francisco’s population has yet to bounce back following the mass departures during the pandemic.

In March, The San Francisco Chronicle noted, “Despite a booming AI sector, the San Francisco metro area saw no population growth in 2025.”

This stagnation sets the region apart from most other major metros in the U.S., with the latest U.S. census estimates revealing that San Francisco’s population remains significantly below its 2020 numbers.

The report indicated that, as of July 2025, the San Francisco metropolitan area, which encompasses the East Bay, Peninsula, and Marin County, had a population 2.6% smaller than in April 2020. Among large metro areas with over 1.5 million residents, only Los Angeles experienced a slightly greater decline, at 2.7%.

Persistent issues such as rampant homelessness, rising crime rates, and exorbitant living costs have plagued the city for years. Many former residents have cited improved quality of life and affordability outside the Bay Area as reasons for their relocation, as homelessness and housing costs continue to climb.

The city is trying to make a comeback with a shift in its political landscape after moderates ousted progressives out of leadership. 

The effort of moderates caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who praised Mayor Daniel Lurie for his work in turning the city back around.

The city elected Lurie in 2024, defeating incumbent Democrat London Breed in a shift away from lenient policies on crime, drugs and homelessness that critics say contributed to the city’s decline.

Moderate Democrats in San Francisco are pushing back against progressive candidates, fearing local left-wing politicians could undo the work done over the past four years after a surge in the city’s homelessness and crime.

“Still, it’s not as though the Bay Area’s population has been in free fall since the pandemic,” the Chronicle reported. “After hitting a low in 2022, the population growth in both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas has generally leveled off, even creeping up slightly. Likewise, Los Angeles’ population change has generally leveled off around its lowest point.” 

Neighbors for a Better San Francisco raised $10 million to pour into local elections to stop progressives from being re-elected and knocking the city “off its more centrist course,” according to a Politico report last month.

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