Outer Richmond, San Francisco: Homes, Streets & Real Estate Guide
The Outer Richmond is the western end of San Francisco’s Richmond District, from 32nd Avenue to Ocean Beach, between Golden Gate Park on the south and Lincoln Park, Fort Miley and the coast on the north. It is mainly a neighborhood of single-family row houses built in the 1920s and 1930s, with a wave of two-unit flats from the late 1940s and shops on Balboa Street, Geary Boulevard and Clement Street. In the San Francisco MLS it is neighborhood 1E of District 1.
Of the seven District 1 neighborhoods, it has the most single-family houses and the smallest typical house size. What follows covers the boundaries, the coast and parks, the building stock and zoning, transit to the end of the line, and what to check when buying or selling here.
Outer Richmond homes for sale
Outer Richmond market report
From 32nd Avenue to the ocean
32nd Avenue is the eastern line, with the Central Richmond on the other side. Fulton Street and Golden Gate Park form the south edge, and the Great Highway and Ocean Beach the west. Descriptions often use Clement Street as the northern line, but the Assessor’s Outer Richmond neighborhood also takes in blocks north of Clement, including Seal Rock Drive, up to Lincoln Park and Fort Miley. Northeast of the neighborhood is Sea Cliff.
The avenues run from 33rd out to 48th, ending at La Playa Street, which was once 49th Avenue. Most blocks are gently sloped, with higher ground at Sutro Heights in the northwest corner.
The coast and the parks
Public open space surrounds the neighborhood on three sides. Lincoln Park, with its golf course and the Legion of Honor art museum, borders the north. Fort Miley, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, holds the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Sutro Heights Park, the former estate of Adolph Sutro, sits above the Cliff House, and below it are the ruins of the Sutro Baths, which Sutro also built.
Ocean Beach runs the length of the western edge, and the west end of Golden Gate Park is across Fulton. The beach blocks once held Playland, an amusement area that grew from food stands in the 1880s and added the Big Dipper roller coaster in 1923. Balboa Street’s merchant corridor, known as Balboa Village, is in the 30s avenues, and the outer blocks of Geary and Clement have their own restaurants and shops. The Anza Branch Library, dedicated in 1932 and reopened in 2011 after renovation, serves the outer avenues.
Homes: a 1920s neighborhood with a postwar flats wave
The Assessor’s 2025 closed roll on DataSF lists about 2,740 single-family dwelling parcels in Assessor neighborhood 1E (these are parcel counts: each condo unit is one parcel, as is each apartment building), the most of any District 1 neighborhood, along with about 750 flat and duplex parcels, about 520 condominium units and roughly 230 apartment buildings of all sizes. About 61% of the single-family parcels carry build dates in the 1920s, with 1923, 1924 and 1925 the peak years, and another 20% date from 1930 through 1945.
Flats tell a different story. About 41% of flat and duplex parcels are dated from 1946 to 1979, with 1947 the single busiest year, and another 15% from 1980 or later. Buyers looking at an Outer Richmond two-unit building are therefore often looking at postwar construction, with different framing, wiring and layout questions than an Edwardian flat in the Inner Richmond.
| Measure (single-family dwellings, 2025 roll) | Outer Richmond |
|---|---|
| Parcels | about 2,740 |
| Built 1906 to 1919 | about 12% |
| Built in the 1920s | about 61% |
| Built 1930 to 1945 | about 20% |
| Built 1946 or later | about 6% |
| Median lot area | about 3,000 sq ft |
| Median recorded building area | about 1,625 sq ft |
A smaller median building area means many houses are compact row houses. Recorded area may not include finished space added downstairs, which is one reason the permit file matters when comparing two houses on paper.
Zoning: RH-2 with an RH-1 share
RH-2 is the most common zoning code in the Assessor’s roll for Outer Richmond parcels, but the neighborhood also has the largest RH-1 (single-family) share of the Richmond, about 740 parcels, plus some RH-1(D) blocks of detached houses. RM-1 appears on a smaller set of blocks, and Balboa, Clement and Geary frontages carry NC-1 and NC-2 neighborhood commercial codes.
The Family Zoning Plan, in effect since January 12, 2026, raises heights on major transit and commercial streets, permits six stories on corner lots and sites over 8,000 square feet, and lifts unit-count limits, though not height limits, across many residential blocks. The plan package also included a Local Coastal Program amendment, so for parcels near the Great Highway ask SF Planning whether coastal-zone rules apply as well as checking the zoning map.
Transit to the end of the line
- 38R Geary Rapid starts at Point Lobos and 48th Avenue and runs downtown to the Salesforce Transit Center, daily until about 7 p.m.; daytime 38 Geary trips end at 32nd Avenue and Balboa or at Fort Miley Hospital, and evening 38s run out to 48th Avenue.
- 31 Balboa and 5R Fulton Rapid reach Cabrillo and La Playa, a block from the beach; the 5R runs weekdays until 7 p.m., and the 5 Fulton makes the full trip at other times.
- 18 46th Avenue runs from the Legion of Honor in the daytime south through the Sunset to 19th Avenue and Buckingham Way.
- 1 California ends at Geary and 33rd Avenue, at the east edge.
- N Judah, the nearest Muni Metro line, ends at Judah and La Playa on the other side of Golden Gate Park.
This is the District 1 neighborhood farthest from downtown, so test a commute at the hours you would actually travel. By car, Geary Boulevard and Fulton Street are the main routes east.
Ground, coast and building checks
The Richmond was built over sand dunes, and the Outer Richmond is the part closest to the open ocean. The California Geological Survey maps liquefaction and landslide zones that sellers must disclose on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement; check where a parcel falls, along with the city’s 100-year storm flood risk map, using our San Francisco hazard maps guide. Homes near the bluffs and the beach deserve a closer look at drainage and exterior wear.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission supplies water and sewer service, and owners maintain their own sewer laterals. For multi-unit buildings, the Rent Ordinance limits increases on most units first occupied before June 13, 1979, and the soft-story program covers older wood-frame buildings of five or more units. Details of both are on our San Francisco seller requirements page.
Selling a home in the Outer Richmond
Most buyers here are comparing houses with houses, so the details that separate one 1920s row house from the next carry the price: a legal second bathroom, a finished lower level, the garage, the condition of the stucco and windows, and how much light the main floor gets.
- Reconcile the lower level with the permits. If rooms or a bathroom were added behind the garage, match them to permits. If they were not permitted, decide whether to legalize or disclose; our unwarranted units guide covers the options.
- Get ahead of exterior questions. Ocean air is hard on paint, windows and metal. A recent roof and exterior report saves buyers from guessing.
- Order the city’s required reports early. The 3R report, water and energy inspections and transfer tax are the same citywide.
- Price against true comparables. Use recent sales of similar-sized houses in the outer avenues; the market report on this page shows current figures, and a home valuation applies them to your house.
For a sale of a flat or condo in a postwar building, add the condo documents or TIC agreement, and see our San Francisco selling guide for timing and preparation.
Questions people ask
Where does the Outer Richmond start?
At 32nd Avenue, running west to Ocean Beach between Golden Gate Park and Lincoln Park. The Assessor’s neighborhood also includes blocks north of Clement Street such as Seal Rock Drive.
Are Outer Richmond homes mostly single-family?
Yes. About 2,740 of its parcels are single-family dwellings, compared with about 750 flat and duplex parcels and roughly 520 condo units, according to the Assessor’s 2025 roll.
When were most Outer Richmond houses built?
About 61% of single-family parcels carry 1920s build dates and about 20% date from 1930 to 1945. Two-unit flats are newer on average, with a peak in 1947.
Which buses go to Ocean Beach from the Outer Richmond?
The 31 Balboa and the 5R (weekdays until 7 p.m.) run to Cabrillo and La Playa, with the 5 Fulton covering that trip at other times; the 38R ends at Point Lobos and 48th Avenue, and the 18 46th Avenue runs from the Legion of Honor south along 46th Avenue.
Is the Outer Richmond in a flood or hazard zone?
It depends on the parcel. Check the state liquefaction and landslide zones and the city’s 100-year storm flood risk map for the specific address; both are disclosed when a home sells.
What zoning applies in the Outer Richmond?
Mostly RH-2, with the largest RH-1 single-family share in the Richmond and some RM-1 blocks. Commercial frontages on Balboa, Clement and Geary are NC-1 and NC-2. Check current zoning on SF Planning’s map.
Planning a move to the outer avenues, or getting a house ready for market? Contact Diamond Real Estate Group, or start with our guide to buying in San Francisco.
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
- California Geological Survey: CGS Note 53, San Francisco Bay Area regulatory earthquake hazard zones
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission: Sewer laterals
- SF Rent Board: Partial exemption for newly constructed rental units
- SF Department of Building Inspection: Mandatory Soft Story Program
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
