Daly City, CA Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Daly City, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in Daly City →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Daly City, California has a population of about 103,648. Typical household income is $114,910 per year, above the median across the cities in our dataset (+59%).
Daly City's housing market shows a median home value of $1,073,100, above the multi-city benchmark (+229%), alongside median rent of $2,554 per month. Both figures matter for anyone weighing a move here.
Home prices in Daly City run about 9.3× median household income — a stretched ratio that puts real pressure on affordability for local buyers. The market has cooled around Daly City: home prices are down about 0.61% compared with a year ago. Climate and natural-hazard risk in Daly City runs on the higher side, per FEMA's Relatively High rating — insurance premiums often track this closely.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $2,554/mo in Daly City would take 26.7% of your income.
$319/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($1,073,100) would take 59.8% of your income toward principal & interest.
$3,048/mo over the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Daly City
Median home value is $1,073,100 and median gross rent is $2,554/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for San Mateo fell 0.61% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $3,604/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Daly City's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Daly City reported a violent crime rate of 253.6 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Daly City
Planning a move to Daly City? Compare licensed movers and get quotes based on your origin and move date.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Daly City, CA?
- In Daly City, the median home value is $1,073,100 and median rent is $2,554 per month, against a median household income of $114,910. These figures come from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Daly City?
- Using the standard 30%-of-income rule of thumb, affording Daly City's median rent of $2,554/month takes an income of roughly $102,160 a year. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Daly City.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Daly City?
- Daly City's median rent of $2,554/month translates to about $102,160 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $245,520 a year for principal and interest on the $1,073,100 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is Daly City safe?
- Daly City's violent crime rate, per FBI reporting for 2025, stands at 253.6 per 100,000 residents.
See the full salary breakdown for Daly City →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Daly City's.