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California · San Francisco Bay Area · Pacific Coast · #79 Most Populous County in the US
San Francisco County, California
America's most densely settled large city and a consolidated city-county - government, property tax, courts, and services are all unified under one administration at City Hall. Property tax, courts, probate, and senior services for San Francisco residents.
County SeatCity Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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San Francisco County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: SF Department of Emergency Management – (415) 558-3400 | sfdem.org
Alert System: SF Alert; AlertSF; Wireless Emergency Alerts; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; sfdem.org; Moscone Center (large-scale); SF Recreation & Park facilities; Red Cross San Francisco
FEMA Region: Region 9
Notes: California’s only consolidated city-county (city and county boundaries are identical – San Francisco is simultaneously a county and a city); earthquake risk is EXTREME (Hayward Fault on the east side of the Bay; San Andreas Fault (1906 earthquake – M7.9 – destroyed most of the city and killed 3,000+; 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake M6.9 caused collapse of the Bay Bridge and Cypress Street viaduct; a repeat of 1906 would be catastrophic); liquefaction risk in landfill areas (Marina District; Treasure Island); tsunami risk; wildfire risk at the urban-wildland interface in the Sunset, Excelsior, and other western neighborhoods is lower than East Bay but still present; dense urban environment creates mass casualty event risks; the Great Highway and Ocean Beach erosion is accelerating
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
City/County Roads: SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency) – (415) 701-2311 | sfmta.com; manages Muni (buses and light rail – the city’s extensive transit system); San Francisco Public Works manages streets
Public Transit: Muni Metro (light rail – J, K/T, L, M, N, S lines); Muni Bus (extensive network); BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit – multiple SF stations connecting to East Bay and Peninsula); Caltrain (commuter rail Peninsula – 4th and King station); Amtrak (Emeryville and Oakland stops; Amtrak Thruway buses to SF); Golden Gate Ferry and AC Transit for North Bay and East Bay connections; Clipper card is the regional transit payment system
Airport: San Francisco International Airport (SFO – one of the world’s busiest airports; major international hub; served by every major US and most international carriers); Oakland International (OAK – 20 minutes by BART, often much cheaper for Bay Area flights)
Notes: SF is one of the most transit-rich cities in the US – a car is genuinely unnecessary for most residents; BART connects directly to SFO; cycling infrastructure has improved dramatically; the Bay Bridge (I-80), Golden Gate Bridge (US-101), and Bay Bridge (I-580) connect to the rest of the Bay Area; SF’s geography (hills, bay, ocean) and micro-climates (Karl the Fog is iconic) create unique transit challenges; the Bay Area’s traffic is legendary but SF proper has the best transit-to-car ratio of any Western US city
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: SF Department of Building Inspection – (415) 558-6000 | sfdbi.org; SF Planning Department – (415) 558-6378 | sfplanning.org
Services: All permits within the combined city-county; seismic retrofit requirements; soft-story building retrofit program; ADU construction (SF has aggressively loosened ADU restrictions)
Notes: San Francisco’s building permit environment is notoriously complex, expensive, and slow – the city is simultaneously facing a severe housing crisis and has some of the most restrictive and time-consuming permit processes in California; the mandatory soft-story retrofit program (requiring retrofitting of old apartment buildings vulnerable to earthquake collapse) has been a major effort; ADU construction has been simplified somewhat; new development is concentrated in Central SoMa, Candlestick Point (former stadium), and the Mission Rock waterfront
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: SF Veterans Affairs Commission – (415) 503-3033 | sfveterans.org
VA Medical: VA San Francisco Health Care System – (415) 221-4810 (Clement Street and Fort Miley – one of California’s major VA medical centers; on a spectacular site overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate; the 100-acre West LA VA campus controversy has a San Francisco analog in the long debate over the Fort Miley campus); multiple CBOCs and specialty clinics
Services: Full range; VA SFHCS is a comprehensive academic-affiliated VA; CalVet coordination; significant homeless veteran services given SF’s unhoused population
Notes: VA San Francisco is affiliated with UCSF – one of the most prestigious academic medical partnerships in the VA system; the Fort Miley campus overlooking the Pacific provides outstanding VA healthcare in a remarkable setting; SF has a significant and visible homeless veteran population (the city’s unhoused crisis affects veterans disproportionately); the city’s veteran services infrastructure is strong but demand exceeds supply; LGBT+ veteran services are important in SF given the city’s large LGBTQ+ community
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: San Francisco Public Library – (415) 557-4400 | sfpl.org; Main Library (Civic Center – stunning 1996 building – a world-class public library) and 27 branch libraries
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy, LGBTQ+ collections (largest LGBTQ+ library collection in the world – James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center), San Francisco History Center (most comprehensive SF historical archives), children’s programs, legal resources, maker space (TechSF Lab), job resources, multilingual in Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and many others
Notes: San Francisco Public Library is one of the great urban public library systems in the US; the Main Library’s collections are extraordinary; the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center holds the world’s largest LGBTQ+ library collection – a profound institutional commitment to queer history and culture; the SF History Center’s photograph and document archives documenting the city’s history (including the Gold Rush, 1906 earthquake, labor movement, and LGBTQ+ rights movement) are invaluable; the library’s multilingual services reflect one of the US’s most diverse cities (SF has large Chinese-American, Japanese-American, Latino, Filipino, Russian, and other communities)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
City Parks: SF Recreation and Parks – (415) 831-2700 | sfrecpark.org; 220 parks
Key Parks: Golden Gate Park (1,017 acres – one of the world’s great urban parks; de Young Museum; California Academy of Sciences; Japanese Tea Garden; Conservatory of Flowers; Stow Lake; Spreckels Lake; Buffalo Paddock – actual bison; the park was carved from sand dunes; essentially San Francisco’s equivalent of Central Park); The Presidio (1,491 acres – former military base now managed by NPS/Presidio Trust; Main Post; Crissy Field; Baker Beach; Warming Hut; Mountain Lake; Arguello Blvd; spectacular bay views; Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge); Dolores Park (Mission neighborhood – the social heart of SF’s LGBTQ+ and arts community); Lands End (coastal bluffs; Sutro Baths ruins; Cliff House; Legion of Honor art museum; labyrinth on the cliff); Glen Canyon Park; Buena Vista Park; Bernal Heights Park; McLaren Park (overlooked gem)
Federal: Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA – one of the most visited NPS units in the US; the Marin Headlands, Ocean Beach, Fort Funston, Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods accessible from SF); Alcatraz Island (federal penitentiary 1934-1963; now NPS – one of the most popular day trip destinations in California; Native American occupation 1969-1971)
Notable: Golden Gate Bridge (one of the world’s most iconic structures; opened 1937; Art Deco masterpiece; 1.7 miles long; 4,200-foot main span; 746-foot towers; the bridge walk is extraordinary; about 25 people die by suicide annually jumping from the bridge – a profound and ongoing public health crisis; the suicide deterrent net installed in 2023 was a major public health achievement); Fisherman’s Wharf; Pier 39 (sea lions – Steller sea lions colonized K Dock in 1990 after the Loma Prieta earthquake and have become a beloved SF institution; up to 1,700 sea lions at peak); Ferry Building Marketplace; Castro Theatre; Painted Ladies (Victorian houses); Lombard Street; Coit Tower; Twin Peaks; SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art – one of the US’s finest modern art museums; its expanded building opened 2016 is architecturally remarkable)
Notes: San Francisco’s density of world-class cultural assets is extraordinary – arguably no US city (outside New York) has more major museums, cultural institutions, and historic sites per square mile; the Golden Gate Bridge is simultaneously an engineering marvel and a beloved aesthetic object that has become inseparable from California’s identity; Alcatraz’s combination of haunting penal history and spectacular Bay views makes it one of the most fascinating NPS sites; the Castro’s role in LGBTQ+ rights history (Harvey Milk’s political base; the AIDS epidemic’s ground zero; the first openly gay elected official in California) makes it one of America’s most historically significant neighborhoods; Golden Gate Park’s transformation from sand dunes into one of the world’s great parks is a testament to Victorian-era landscape engineering; the Painted Ladies’ Victorian architecture against the downtown skyline is one of America’s most reproduced cityscapes
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: SF DataSF Open Data Portal – data.sfgov.org (one of the finest government open data portals in the US); SF Planning maps; USGS San Andreas/Hayward Fault liquefaction and shake maps; SFMTA transit real-time; BART real-time; Ocean Beach erosion monitoring
Notes: World-class GIS and open data infrastructure; SF was one of the first US cities to commit to open data government; liquefaction zone mapping is critical (Marina District – built on bay fill – is in extreme liquefaction hazard zone as 1989 earthquake demonstrated); sea level rise inundation mapping (Ocean Beach and the Embarcadero are increasingly threatened); BART real-time tracker; Muni real-time tracker; building permit status portal; neighborhood-level health data portal
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: SF Animal Care and Control – (415) 554-9400 | sfanimalcare.org; SF SPCA (independent – (415) 554-3000) – one of the most innovative humane societies in the US
Notable: The Steller sea lions on Pier 39 Dock K (protected under Marine Mammal Protection Act – NOAA permits their presence; they first appeared after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake; up to 1,700 sea lions in peak season; beloved city institution); urban coyotes (SF has resident coyote population in the Presidio and Golden Gate Park); Urban Bird Project
Notes: SF SPCA is nationally innovative – it pioneered the no-kill shelter model in the 1990s; SF Animal Care and Control was also an early no-kill leader; the sea lions at Pier 39 (protected by MMPA) are one of SF’s most beloved attractions; coyotes are now resident in the Presidio and SF’s parks – urban coyote management programs are active; raptor nesting sites in tall buildings (peregrine falcons have nested at the 33rd Floor of 101 California Street – the famous 1993 mass shooting building – since 1994; they are live-streamed)
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: SF Environment Department – (415) 355-3700 | sfenvironment.org; SF Recology (the city’s exclusive waste hauler – one of the most sophisticated waste management programs in the US; mandatory three-bin sorting of landfill, recycling, and compost since 2009; SF has achieved 80%+ diversion from landfill; the city aims for Zero Waste by 2030)
Recycling: SF has California’s and one of the US’s most advanced recycling and composting programs; mandatory composting since 2009 was a national first; organic waste diversion has dramatically reduced methane generation; SF’s food scraps composting is world-class
Environmental: SFPUC (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission – manages water, power, and sewer for SF and wholesale water to the Bay Area; the Hetch Hetchy water system delivers water 167 miles from Yosemite via the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct); California SWRCB; SF Bay RWQCB; California Coastal Commission; NOAA (SF Bay marine environment; sea lion management); Port of San Francisco; Golden Gate National Recreation Area (NPS); Ocean Beach coastal erosion management
Notes: SFPUC’s Hetch Hetchy water system (which delivers water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park to 2.7 million Bay Area residents) is one of California’s most significant and controversial water systems; the damming of Hetch Hetchy Valley (the 1913 Raker Act over John Muir’s passionate objection) has been debated for a century; the debate over whether to remove O’Shaughnessy Dam and restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley (considered by some as beautiful as Yosemite Valley) continues; SF’s Zero Waste program is genuinely innovative and internationally studied; San Francisco Bay water quality has improved dramatically since the Clean Water Act; the Bay’s restoration (wetlands reconstruction, Alviso restoration, tidal marshes) is ongoing; Ocean Beach is eroding significantly due to sea level rise and reduced sediment supply – the Great Highway may need to be permanently closed as the ocean advances; the Embarcadero seawall was built in the early 20th century and requires a multi-billion dollar seismic retrofit to survive a major earthquake – one of SF’s most urgent infrastructure priorities; Treasure Island (former Navy base – now being redeveloped) has legacy contamination including radioactive material from nuclear test ships decontaminated there post-WWII
About San Francisco County
San Francisco is unique in California government – a consolidated city-county in which the city and the county are the same jurisdiction. There are no separate cities, no unincorporated areas, and no distinct municipal governments within San Francisco’s 47 square miles. The Board of Supervisors serves as both the city council and the county board of supervisors. The Mayor serves as both head of municipal government and the chief executive of county functions. Elected officers include the Assessor-Recorder, City Attorney, District Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff, Treasurer-Tax Collector, and City College Board of Trustees.
San Francisco has lost approximately 5.5% of its population since the 2020 Census – a notable reversal driven by remote work enabling migration to lower-cost areas, pandemic disruption, housing affordability, and public safety concerns. The city remains the financial and cultural center of Northern California and one of the most economically important urban cores in the world, home to the headquarters of major technology, financial, and biotech firms. The commercial real estate market has experienced significant softening since 2020, particularly in office and retail, creating decline-in-value appeal opportunities for commercial property owners.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
San Francisco property tax follows California’s Proposition 13 (1978) framework: the base rate is 1% of assessed value, capped at a 2% annual increase in assessed value. Assessed value is the purchase price (base year value) indexed forward – long-term San Francisco owners often have an assessed value a fraction of current market value, given the city’s extraordinary property appreciation over decades. Local voter-approved bonds and special assessments add to the 1% base.
The elected San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres administers property assessment at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 190 (415-554-5596).
Two pathways to challenge your assessment:
Informal Review (residential single-family only): File online through the Assessor-Recorder’s community portal from January 2 through March 31 each year. The Assessor’s staff reviews submitted evidence (comparable sales) and may offer a reduction without a formal hearing. This is the fastest and simplest option for residential owners who believe their Prop 13 assessed value exceeds current market value.
Formal Appeal – Assessment Appeals Board (AAB): File from July 2 through September 15 each year. Submit an Assessment Appeal Application (form BOE-305-AH) with a non-refundable $120 filing fee to the Assessment Appeals Board, City Hall, Room 405, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415-554-6778). The AAB is an independent quasi-judicial body appointed by the Board of Supervisors – separate from the Assessor’s office. A three-member panel or Hearing Officer hears evidence from both the taxpayer and the Assessor, then renders a decision. The AAB may leave the value the same, decrease it, or increase it – it is not bound by either party’s position. The decision is final; challenge only through San Francisco Superior Court within six months.
Decline-in-value (Prop 8): When current market value falls below the Prop 13 assessed (factored base year) value, owners may seek a temporary reduction. For residential single-family, file through the informal review (January 2–March 31) first; if unsatisfied, file with the AAB July 2–September 15. For commercial properties, go directly to the AAB formal appeal. Comparable sales evidence should be from within 90 days of the January 1 lien date – sales more than 90 days after January 1 carry less weight.
Supplemental and escape assessments triggered by ownership changes or new construction must be appealed within 60 days of the notice mailing date, with a $120 fee.
Prop 13 key implications for San Francisco: The city’s extraordinary appreciation since the 1970s means many long-term owners pay taxes on assessed values well below $200,000 for homes now worth $1–2 million or more. When these properties sell, the assessed value resets to full market value – a massive tax increase for buyers. Prop 19 (2021) curtailed the parent-to-child base year value transfer: heirs must occupy the property as a primary residence for the exclusion to apply, and the exclusion is capped at $1 million of value above the assessed base. Estate planning for San Francisco property must specifically address Prop 19.
Tax bills are due November 1 and February 1, delinquent after December 10 and April 10. The California Homeowner’s Exemption reduces assessed value by $7,000 – apply once with the Assessor-Recorder.
OWNWELL CTA: San Francisco commercial property values have softened significantly since 2020 – office and retail owners may have strong decline-in-value grounds. Residential owners with recent purchases near peak prices may also have appeals. Formal AAB window: July 2–September 15, $120 fee. Ownwell manages the process with no upfront cost.
Recommended
San Francisco commercial property values have softened significantly since 2020 - office and retail owners may have strong decline-in-value grounds. Residential owners with recent purchases near peak prices may also have appeals. Formal AAB window: July 2–September 15, $120 fee. Ownwell manages the process with no upfront cost.
Public Records
The San Francisco Assessor-Recorder (Room 190, City Hall, 415-554-5596) maintains all land records – deeds, mortgages, liens, and recorded documents – for the city-county. Records are searchable online through the Assessor-Recorder’s community portal at sfassessor.org. Marriage licenses, business filings, and official records are also maintained by the Assessor-Recorder in its combined role.
California’s Public Records Act provides access to government records. The San Francisco Clerk of the Board of Supervisors maintains Board records and ordinances. Court records are accessible through California Courts online case information.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The San Francisco Superior Court at 400 McAllister Street (415-551-3700) is the trial court for all civil, criminal, family, and probate matters in the city-county. The court has divisions for criminal, civil, family law, probate, and juvenile matters. San Francisco operates one of the largest and most complex state trial courts in California.
Probate in San Francisco
San Francisco Superior Court’s Probate Division at 400 McAllister Street handles wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and trusts. California probate is governed by the California Probate Code. California has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax – only federal estate tax applies above the current individual threshold.
Prop 19 is the defining estate planning issue for San Francisco property owners. With median home values among the highest in the nation, many SF estates include real property with a Prop 13 base year value far below current market value. Under Prop 19, when that property passes to a child who does not use it as a primary residence – or when the value exceeds the $1 million exclusion cap – the assessed value resets to current market, dramatically increasing property taxes for the heir. San Francisco estate planning must specifically address this.
Senior Services: The San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) (415-355-6700) coordinates senior centers, home-delivered meals, transportation, Medi-Cal navigation, in-home care, the HICAP Medicare counseling program, and Adult Protective Services. San Francisco’s dense, transit-rich environment and robust public benefits system make it one of the most supportive urban environments for aging in place in California.
Prop 19 base year transfer: San Francisco seniors 55 or older may transfer their base year value to a replacement home anywhere in California, up to three times. Given the city’s extreme values, this benefit – which allows a long-time SF homeowner to sell and relocate to a lower-cost area while keeping a low tax base – is particularly powerful.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
ASSESSOR-RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses)
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl., Room 190, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-5596
Genealogy
County-level record sources
San Francisco County Superior Court, Department 204 (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
California Genealogical Society and Library, 2201 Broadway Street, Suite LL 2, Oakland, CA 94612-3031 – while technically across the Bay in Alameda County, this is the primary genealogy resource for San Francisco-area researchers.
Society of California Pioneers Library and California Historical Society, both headquartered directly in San Francisco.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
San Francisco County Superior Court – Probate Court, Department 204 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-4514 (415) 551-3650 (or main line 415-551-4000) Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
California recently increased its small-estate thresholds substantially, so check this first – more estates now qualify to skip full probate than in past years.
Small Estate Affidavit (personal property) – for estates with personal property valued at $208,850 or less (for deaths on or after April 1, 2025; holds through March 31, 2028). No court filing needed – present the signed affidavit directly to the bank or institution holding the property. Must wait at least 40 days after the death, and no probate proceeding can already be pending.
Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property, Primary Residence – for a decedent’s primary California residence valued at $750,000 or less (Judicial Council Form DE-310) – given San Francisco’s high property values, many families here will find this route especially useful. Requires a 40-day wait, notice to heirs, and a probate referee appraisal.
Affidavit for Real Property of Small Value – for other (non-primary-residence) California real property valued at $69,625 or less (Form DE-305). Requires a 6-month wait.
Formal Probate – required when the estate exceeds these thresholds. California typically uses the Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA), letting the personal representative handle most matters without a court hearing for each step.
California is a community property state – a surviving spouse already owns their half of community property, and can often use a simplified Spousal Property Petition (Form DE-221) instead.
If using the small estate affidavit (personal property)
Wait at least 40 days after the death.
Confirm total qualifying California personal property (excluding trust assets, joint tenancy, POD/TOD accounts, and beneficiary-designated accounts) is $208,850 or less, using date-of-death values.
Complete the affidavit under Probate Code § 13100.
Present it with a certified death certificate directly to the bank or institution – no court filing required. Collecting property this way makes you personally liable for the decedent’s unsecured debts up to the value received (Prob. Code § 13109).
IF USING THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE PETITION OR SMALL REAL PROPERTY AFFIDAVIT
Confirm the property qualifies and the applicable waiting period has passed (40 days for the primary-residence petition; 6 months for the small real property affidavit).
File the petition (Form DE-310) or affidavit (Form DE-305) with the San Francisco County Superior Court, Department 204.
A probate referee appraises the property; heirs receive notice.
Once approved, the property transfers without full probate administration.
If formal probate is required
Deliver the original will (if any) to the court clerk within 30 days of learning of the death (Prob. Code § 8200).
File a Petition for Probate (Form DE-111) to admit the will and request appointment as personal representative.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (Form DE-150) or Letters of Administration.
If Independent Administration authority is granted, the personal representative can act on most matters without separate court hearings.
Some hearings in Department 204 may be conducted remotely via Zoom – check current court notices for the applicable meeting details before your hearing date.
Notice to creditors and an inventory/appraisal (with a probate referee) follow, along with payment of debts and taxes.
The estate closes with a final petition for distribution.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit / real property affidavits: no court filing fee for the personal-property affidavit; filing fees apply to the DE-310 primary-residence petition and DE-305 small real property affidavit.
Formal probate filing fee: several hundred dollars, varying somewhat by county.
Personal representative and attorney compensation: statutory fee schedule based on estate size (Prob. Code §§ 10800–10810) – a percentage that declines as the estate grows.
No California state estate tax or inheritance tax.
Parking: no dedicated public facility at the Civic Center Courthouse – nearby paid options include Civic Center Plaza Garage, Hastings Garage, Fox Plaza, Performing Arts Center Garage, and Opera Plaza Garage.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl., Room 456, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-7225
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
Department of Elections
(415) 554-4375
CA Voter Registration
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(415) 554-2500
Social Services
(415) 557-5000
Medi-Cal
(800) 300-1506
Safety Net
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital; Laguna Honda Hospital
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: San Francisco Department of Public Health – (415) 554-2500 | sfhealthnetwork.org
Services: Comprehensive city-county health department; immunizations; WIC; STI/HIV (SF is the epicenter of the US HIV/AIDS epidemic – SF General was the primary HIV/AIDS treatment center during the epidemic; the UCSF-SFGH HIV/AIDS program is world-renowned); behavioral health; environmental health; restaurant inspections; jail health (SF’s jail health program is nationally recognized); epidemiology; refugee health
Hospital: UCSF Health (multiple hospitals – UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus, Mission Bay; globally ranked academic medical center – top 10 nationally in multiple specialties); Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SF’s safety-net public hospital – Level I trauma; named for Mark Zuckerberg after a major donation; SFGH is the hospital most associated with the HIV/AIDS epidemic and continues to treat the most vulnerable); Kaiser Permanente (multiple); CPMC (Sutter Health – multiple); St. Mary’s Medical Center; Chinese Hospital; VA San Francisco
Notes: San Francisco’s healthcare ecosystem is world-class; UCSF is consistently ranked among the top 5 medical schools and hospital systems globally; UCSF’s Mission Bay campus (opened 2015 – a remarkable cluster of research hospitals on the former industrial waterfront) is one of the finest new hospital campuses in the world; Zuckerberg SF General has been an iconic public hospital serving San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents since 1872; SF’s HIV/AIDS history is profound – the epidemic killed tens of thousands in the Castro and surrounding neighborhoods; the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park and the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt are lasting memorials; behavioral health challenges are severe (SF’s Tenderloin neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of open drug use and mental health crisis in the US – a chronic and deeply contested public health emergency)
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