Downtown SF Recovery · Q1 2026
A single dashboard tracking the signals that matter for San Francisco's economic center — from transit ridership and bridge traffic to housing activity, office leasing, and street-level retail. Select a category below to explore the data.
The two transportation signals tell different stories about how downtown SF is recovering.
BART Ridership · Downtown Core · Jan 2024 – Apr 2026
Average weekly BART exits at the four downtown core stations — Embarcadero, Montgomery St, Powell St, and Civic Center — climbed from about 269,000 in early 2024 to 331,000 by early 2026. Because these stations sit at the heart of the financial and retail district, their ridership tracks the return of foot traffic more directly than employment data.
Jan 2024 – Apr 2026 · four core stations
Total exits (bars) vs. avg weekly exits (line)
Share of total downtown exits
Like-for-like comparison of the same four-month window
Bridge Crossings · Inbound to SF · 2019–2026
Monthly vehicle crossings into San Francisco via Bay Area toll bridges peaked at 47.5M in 2019. By 2025, volume had recovered to 43.0M — about 90% of 2019 — but has remained flat since 2022, suggesting downtown-bound vehicle trips have stabilized at a new lower baseline.
2019–2026 · 2026 is Jan–May YTD only
Seasonal pattern — 2019, 2024, 2025, 2026 partial
Housing & Real Estate · Coming Soon
This section will track the key signals behind San Francisco's residential market — from permit activity and production pipelines to rent trends and vacancy rates across neighborhoods.
Monthly permit applications and approvals for new residential construction across SF neighborhoods.
Data coming soonMonthly median sale prices and asking rents for SF's major neighborhoods and unit types.
Data coming soonUnits in planning, under construction, and recently completed — tracking supply against demand.
Data coming soonRental vacancy trends and how quickly newly listed units are being absorbed into the market.
Data coming soonOffice Activity · Coming Soon
This section will track commercial office market health in the downtown core — vacancy rates, new leasing, sublease space, and return-to-office occupancy signals that indicate how much of the financial district is truly active.
Overall and sublease vacancy for downtown SF's Class A, B, and C office inventory by quarter.
Data coming soonSquare footage of new leases signed, renewals, and expansions in the downtown core each quarter.
Data coming soonBadge swipe and building access data measuring actual daily office utilization vs. pre-COVID baseline.
Data coming soonSublease square footage on the market — a leading indicator of corporate space shedding or expansion.
Data coming soonRegistered Businesses · San Francisco · July 2026
San Francisco maintains over 167,000 active registered businesses across its neighborhoods and commercial corridors. The Financial District alone holds 13.5% of all active registrations — more than the Mission, SoMa, and Chinatown combined. New registrations have stabilized near 12,300 per year since 2022 after a sharp COVID-era decline from the 2016 peak of 23,439.
SF Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector · 2015–2025
New registrations peaked at 23,439 in 2016, then dropped 26% during COVID (2020–2021) to around 12,100–12,200/year. Since 2022, the rate has stabilized near 12,300–12,600 — below the pre-pandemic baseline but consistent, suggesting the city's business formation rate has found a new floor.
Top 10 SF neighborhoods · active registrations only
Top 10 NAICS categories · businesses with classification on file
Top 10 designated corridors · active registrations only