Central Richmond, San Francisco: Homes, Streets & Real Estate Guide
The Central Richmond covers the middle avenues of San Francisco’s Richmond District, from Park Presidio Boulevard west to 32nd Avenue, bounded by California Street to the north and Fulton Street to the south. It is the largest residential area in MLS District 1, built mostly between 1906 and 1929, mostly single-family row houses mixed with many two-unit flats, and shops along Geary Boulevard and outer Clement Street. The San Francisco MLS lists it as neighborhood 1A.
Golden Gate Park runs along its whole south side. The sections below cover the boundaries, transit, the building stock as the Assessor records it, zoning after the 2026 rezoning, the rules that come with older rental buildings, and how to prepare a sale.
Central Richmond homes for sale
Central Richmond market report
Between Park Presidio and 32nd Avenue
Park Presidio Boulevard, which carries State Route 1, is the eastern edge and the line between this neighborhood and the Inner Richmond. On the west, 32nd Avenue separates it from the Outer Richmond. California Street is the northern line; above it are Lake Street and, farther west, Sea Cliff. Fulton Street and the park close the south side.
The neighborhood is a long grid of numbered avenues running out to 32nd, crossed by Clement Street, Geary Boulevard, Anza Street, Balboa Street and Cabrillo Street. Most blocks are gently sloped, and the regular grid makes block-to-block comparisons straightforward.
Getting around the middle avenues
| Street | Muni service | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Geary Boulevard | 38 Geary, 38R Geary Rapid | To downtown and the Salesforce Transit Center; the 38R runs until about 7 p.m. |
| California Street | 1 California | Turns back at Geary and 33rd Avenue, just past the west line |
| Fulton Street | 5 Fulton, 5R Fulton Rapid | The 5R runs to Ocean Beach on weekdays until 7 p.m., when the 5 turns back at 6th Avenue; the 5 runs through at other times |
| Balboa Street | 31 Balboa | To Cabrillo and La Playa at the beach end |
| Park Presidio Boulevard | 28 19th Avenue, 28R | North-south line to Fisherman’s Wharf and Daly City BART |
| 25th Avenue | 29 Sunset | Crosses toward the Presidio in the daytime; some evening trips end at 25th and California |
One gap surprises newcomers: no bus runs along outer Clement Street. The 2 Clement, which turned back at Park Presidio, is listed as suspended in published route lists, so the outer Clement shops are reached by the 1 or the 38 a block away. Some evening 18 46th Avenue trips also start and end at 33rd Avenue and Geary. Drivers use Park Presidio north through the Presidio toward the Golden Gate Bridge, and Fulton or Geary toward downtown.
Houses and flats from the streetcar years
After the 1906 earthquake, demand for new housing pushed building west over the remaining dunes, and the Central Richmond filled in during the following two decades. The Assessor’s 2025 closed roll on DataSF shows the result (our counts of parcels in Assessor neighborhood 1A; each condo unit is its own parcel, each apartment building one parcel): about 48% of single-family parcels with build dates from 1906 through 1919 and about 38% from the 1920s. Flats came a little later, with about half of the flat and duplex parcels dated to the 1920s and a peak in 1922 and 1923.
| Parcels by type (2025 roll) | Central Richmond | For comparison: Inner Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family dwellings | about 2,240 | about 1,050 |
| Flats and duplexes | about 1,400 | about 1,000 |
| Apartments, 4 units or less | about 390 | about 290 |
| Apartments, 5 to 14 units | about 270 | about 240 |
| Condominium units | about 650 | about 600 |
| Median single-family building area | about 1,900 sq ft | about 2,150 sq ft |
The median single-family lot is about 3,000 square feet, the same as in the Inner Richmond, but the houses are a little smaller on average. About 12% of the flat and duplex parcels carry dates of 1980 or later, reflecting newer or rebuilt two-unit buildings on some blocks. Read build dates as a starting point; the 3R report and permit file show what was actually built and changed.
Geary, Clement and Balboa: the commercial blocks
Geary Boulevard is the Central Richmond’s main commercial street, zoned NC-3 for most of its length here, and Holy Virgin Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox cathedral, is its best-known landmark. Outer Clement Street has a quieter run of restaurants and shops, and Balboa Street has small neighborhood storefronts.
For open space, Golden Gate Park is across Fulton from every avenue, and Rochambeau Park sits between 24th and 25th Avenues. George Washington High School stands at 32nd Avenue and Anza Street, on the line with the Outer Richmond; the neighborhood is in the San Francisco Unified School District.
Zoning: mostly RH-2, with taller limits on the corridors
RH-2 is by far the most common zoning code on Central Richmond parcels in the Assessor’s roll, with RM-1 on a smaller share of blocks. Geary Boulevard parcels are coded NC-3, outer Clement Street is coded to the Outer Clement Street Neighborhood Commercial District, and there are scattered NC-1 corner stores and RM-2 parcels. RH-2 is the two-family house district, which fits the way so many blocks mix houses and two-flat buildings.
Since January 12, 2026, the Family Zoning Plan has opened Geary and the other major corridors to mid-rise buildings, with more height possible at some major intersections. Off the corridors, corner lots and opportunity sites over 8,000 square feet can go to six stories, and in many residential areas the unit count is no longer capped, within existing heights. Because the Assessor’s zoning field may not reflect the change yet, check any parcel on SF Planning’s adopted map. For a single-family house mid-block, the practical effect is usually on future options; for a corner lot or a Geary frontage it can affect what the land is worth to a builder.
Owning a rental or a two-unit building
With more than 2,000 flat, duplex and apartment parcels, the Central Richmond has a large stock of older rental units. Most were first occupied before June 13, 1979, so their rented units usually fall under the Rent Ordinance’s increase limits and just-cause rules. Rented houses and condos can be partly exempt under Costa-Hawkins, which is one more reason to check each unit’s history rather than the building’s address.
The roughly 270 buildings of 5 to 14 units are where the city’s soft-story retrofit program most often comes in. Ask for the retrofit permit and final sign-off. Investors comparing buildings should also read our San Francisco multifamily guide, and owners of two-unit buildings weighing a sale of one unit should start with our TIC guide.
Ground, sewer and building checks
Like the rest of the Richmond, this area was built over sand dunes. State liquefaction and landslide zones are disclosed on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement, while storm flooding is covered by SFPUC’s 100-year flood risk map; check both for the specific parcel, using our hazard maps guide. For houses from the 1910s and 1920s, a foundation inspection is worth the cost.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission provides water and sewer service. Owners maintain the sewer lateral. SFPUC says it will, in most circumstances, repair a structural defect it confirms in the lower lateral at no cost, so a video inspection before closing tells a buyer which part of any problem would be theirs.
Selling a home in the Central Richmond
Buyers here often weigh a single-family house against a full-floor flat on a nearby block, so the listing should make the difference clear: private yard versus shared garden, garage parking, and who pays for what. The city’s required 3R report, inspections and transfer tax are covered on our seller requirements page; this list covers what Central Richmond buildings usually add.
- Ground-floor rooms: rooms, baths or units built behind the garage are common in this stock. Match them to permits, or disclose them; see our unwarranted units guide.
- Condo or TIC paperwork: for a flat, have the map, CC&Rs or TIC agreement ready.
- Tenant records: leases, rent history and any Rent Board petitions for occupied units.
- Soft-story and seismic work: permits and final sign-offs for retrofits, foundation work and bolting.
- Comparable sales: pick sales of the same building type and floor, not just the same avenue. The market report on this page shows current figures, and our home valuation applies them to your property.
Questions people ask
Where is the Central Richmond?
Between Park Presidio Boulevard and 32nd Avenue, from California Street south to Fulton Street and Golden Gate Park. It is neighborhood 1A in MLS District 1.
How is the Central Richmond different from the Inner and Outer Richmond?
Its houses and flats are mostly from 1906 to 1929, between the older Edwardian stock of the Inner Richmond and the 1920s and postwar buildings of the Outer Richmond. It also has the most single-family and flat parcels of the three.
Is there a bus on Clement Street in the Central Richmond?
No route runs along outer Clement Street. The 2 Clement, which turned back at Park Presidio, is listed as suspended; the 1 California and the 38 and 38R on Geary each run a block away.
What zoning covers most of the Central Richmond?
RH-2 on most residential blocks, with RM-1 on some. Geary Boulevard is NC-3 and outer Clement Street is a neighborhood commercial district. The Family Zoning Plan raised heights on major corridors from January 12, 2026.
Where are the shops in the Central Richmond?
Mainly on Geary Boulevard, with a quieter run of restaurants and shops on outer Clement Street and small storefronts on Balboa Street.
Are Central Richmond flats rent controlled?
Most flats and apartments here were first occupied before June 13, 1979, so their tenancies are usually under the Rent Ordinance’s increase limits as well as just-cause rules. Confirm each unit’s first certificate of occupancy.
If you are deciding between a house and a flat in the Central Richmond, or getting a building ready to sell, talk with Diamond Real Estate Group. You can also compare the other neighborhoods of SF District 1.
Sources & notes
- Wikipedia: Richmond District, San Francisco (neighborhood boundaries and history)
- DataSF (Office of the Assessor-Recorder): Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route termini)
- SF Planning: San Francisco Family Zoning Plan
- SF Rent Board: Partial exemption for newly constructed rental units
- SF Rent Board: Partial exemption for certain single-family homes and condominiums (Costa-Hawkins)
- SF Department of Building Inspection: Mandatory Soft Story Program
- California Geological Survey: CGS Note 53, San Francisco Bay Area regulatory earthquake hazard zones
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission: Sewer laterals
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
