I was walking around the block to Duboce Park Cafe recently after a showing at my nearby condo listing on 14th Street when I recalled a 2023 National Association of Realtors (NAR) survey on home buyers and walkability. Bottom line? Buyers will pay more for a home with high walkability.
Proximity to retail, restaurants and transit became more of a focus during Covid, but demand has only grown since. Particularly in a neighborhood-driven city like San Francisco, being able to stroll to your local cafe or sushi spot is often the reason people want to live here. Seventy-eight percent of NAR’s 2,000 survey respondents said they’d pay more for a home in a walkable community, and about half said they preferred a walkable community and shorter commute, even if it meant living in a condo or having a smaller yard.
Indeed, I’ve had numerous conversations at initial meetings with new buyer clients during which they told me that it wouldn’t be worth living in the city if they couldn’t walk to restaurants, retail and transit.
If you’re new to San Francisco and aren’t familiar with the most walkable neighborhoods, tap your Realtor for that info. I often put together a list of retail areas and transit hubs that will help guide a home search. And sites like Walk Score can help vet locations. For example, my 931 14th Street listing gets a 97 Walker’s Paradise score, along with an 89 for Excellent Transit. You can click on the map that accompanies the property address and see what’s nearby, from bars, restaurants and groceries to cafes and entertainment.