A city with a rich history spawned by the California gold rush, San Francisco presents opportunities for many today. There is much to explore for someone heading to San Francisco.

Between the Pacific Ocean and its bay lies the city of San Francisco in Northern California. On 46.7 square miles of land is a densely populated city with an estimated 739,426 residents. The population shrank nearly 5% since the 2000 U.S. Census, but San Francisco remains the state's fourth-largest city. The city is part of the fourth largest metro area in the U.S. San Francisco is the birthplace of famous people like author Jack London, actors Clint Eastwood and Bruce Lee, and the voice of Looney Tunes, Mel Blanc. San Francisco is also home to two major sports franchises: baseball's San Francisco Giants and the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.

Those heading to San Francisco know the city supports a large gay and lesbian community. Among its diverse cultures is one of the country's largest Asian communities that makes up 34% of the city's population. Chinese residents account for well over half of that figure. About 44% of the population is White non-Hispanic, 14% Hispanic, 7.8% African-American and Filipino, 5.2%. Nearly 37% of the people living in San Francisco were foreign born. A language other than English was spoken in 46% of city homes. Roughly 32% of households in San Francisco were married-couple families. At 39.4 years, the citizenry is about three years older than the national average. About 12% of people were living in poverty. However, 26.6% of African-American residents were considered poor along with 18.6% of Hispanic or Latino residents.

Compared with cities of a similar size, San Francisco has some of the best paid men and women. According to U.S. Census figures, the median income of city households in 2005 was $57,496. The most common occupations, making up 49% of the workforce, were in management, professional, and related occupations. In the world's largest land-locked harbor, San Francisco has long been a top commercial hub. The city is home to many high-tech businesses and is prominent for semiconductor and computer-related technology. The community serves as the headquarters for Adobe Systems, Apple, eBay, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, National Semiconductor, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo. San Francisco has some of the smartest people in the nation with 45% of residents 25 years and older holding a bachelor's degree. Among more than 100,000 students in the city, San Francisco State University has a full-time enrollment of 21,373 students.

The average value of San Francisco's homes has risen sharply since 2000 when the average value was $396,400. Estimates in 2005 put that number at $726,700. With an average U.S. home value of $167,000, it may deter some people from heading to San Francisco with plans to own a home. Only 35% of San Francisco's homes are owner occupied. The national average is almost twice that. Housing starts are at a near standstill with 51 buildings going up in 2005. Just 7% of the city's housing has been built since 1990. About one-half of all homes were constructed prior to 1940. Median monthly housing costs for mortgaged owners was $2,558, while renters paid $1,118 monthly on average.

While the FBI Crime Index for San Francisco has held steady since 2000, murder and auto theft are on the rise. There were 12.4 murders for every 100,000 people in 2005. The number of reported car thefts topped 8,000, twice since 2004. The city's crime index was 450.6 in 2005, over 125 points above the U.S. figure. While not as warm as southern California, the Bay area has an agreeable climate. The weather tends to be warmer in early fall. The average low for January is 46 degrees, while the average high is 68 in July. October is even warmer at 70 degrees for a high. San Francisco sees about 22.2 inches of precipitation yearly. Residents have access to several international airports, including San Francisco International. Just across the bridge is Metropolitan Oakland International. Amtrak has four stations within the city. About one-third of people commuting to work in 2005 used public transportation. On average, it took nearly a half hour for residents to get to their jobs. Easily accessible are two major parks in San Francisco. Golden Gate Park is the largest in the city with its arboretum, lakes and waterfalls. Walking trails inside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area will find towering redwoods amid 75,000 acres that includes beaches, islands and forests.

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