South of Market, San Francisco: Lofts, Condos & Real Estate Guide
In MLS terms, South of Market is subdistrict 9F: the western and southern part of SoMa, from about Third Street west to the Central Freeway and Division Street, below the Yerba Buena blocks and inland from South Beach. The Assessor’s 2025 roll counts about 5,490 parcels there, and roughly 3,580 of them are condominium or live/work units rather than houses.
The wider SoMa grid runs from Market Street to Mission Creek. Here, condo buildings, warehouses, auto shops and nightlife sit on the same blocks, under two newer area plans that treat housing very differently. For the towers closer to the water, see South Beach; for the blocks around the convention center, see Yerba Buena.
South of Market homes for sale
South of Market market report
A grid of big blocks and small alleys
SoMa was laid out in 1847 as the “100 Vara Survey,” named for its large lots of 100 by 100 varas. Those oversized blocks are why the neighborhood has two scales: wide streets such as Folsom, Harrison and Bryant carrying traffic and trucks, and narrow interior alleys lined with flats, small apartment buildings and workshops.
The 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed most of the district. In the 1930s the Bay Bridge approach took out much of Rincon Hill at the northeast corner, and the freeway viaducts that followed split more of the grid. Much of today’s housing arrived much later, as live/work lofts in the 1990s and condo buildings in the 2000s and 2010s.
What the 9F housing stock looks like
The 2025 roll shows a neighborhood of units within buildings. Single-family houses are rare, about 64 parcels, with a median recorded build year of 1911 and lots of about 1,900 square feet.
| Parcel type (9F) | Approximate count |
|---|---|
| Condominium units, standard class | 1,894 |
| Condominium units classed as BMR | about 320 |
| Condominium parcels classed as “economic units” | about 360 |
| Live/work condominiums | about 1,005 |
| Apartment buildings of 5 to 14 units / 15 or more | 92 / 100 |
| Flats and two-unit buildings | 147 |
| Industrial parcels | about 560 |
The condo stock spans every era. About 147 standard-class units are in buildings recorded before 1950, mostly 1900 to 1912 conversions; about 380 date from 1989 to 1999, about 870 from 2000 to 2009 and about 495 from 2010 to 2022.
Live/work units have a different history. Across District 9, about 1,010 live/work condos were built between 1989 and 1999 and about 1,400 between 2000 and 2007, but the roll shows almost none after that. A loft listed today is therefore usually a building of that period, or an older warehouse converted to live/work.
Western SoMa: housing in enclaves
West of about Sixth Street, the Western SoMa Area Plan and its special use district govern. A point check at Folsom and Ninth streets returns the Western SoMa SUD and the Western SoMa plan area on Planning’s map. The plan came out of a citizen task force and aims to keep the area’s mix of housing, light industry and small business while limiting displacement.
- Residential enclaves: Policy 1.2.4 prohibits new housing south of Harrison Street outside designated Residential Enclave Districts (RED and RED-MX zoning), which cover clusters of homes on the alleys.
- Light industry: the former SLI district became SALI (Service, Arts and Light Industrial).
- Height: the plan encourages more height and density on Folsom Street between Seventh and Tenth streets and a mid-rise business corridor on Townsend.
- Nightlife: Policy 2.2.15 looks to place nighttime entertainment where its effect on housing can be kept down.
North of Harrison, the plan expects a more residential, smaller-scale mix, with upper-floor housing on the major streets. Alleys are treated as residential places, and Policy 4.2.4 keeps freight and service vehicles off residential alleys.
Central SoMa: offices, PDR and housing together
The Central SoMa Plan is implemented through Planning Code Section 249.78, added by Ordinance 296-18 (approved December 12, 2018, effective January 12, 2019). The special use district runs generally from Second Street to Sixth Street and from Townsend Street north to an irregular line along Folsom, Howard and Stevenson streets.
At Fourth Street between Harrison and Bryant, Planning’s map shows CMUO (Central SoMa Mixed Use Office) zoning and a 65-X height district. Some controls a buyer or owner may notice:
- Large office projects of 50,000 square feet or more must provide PDR or community space, on site, off site or by preserving existing PDR.
- On large sites south of Harrison, at least two-thirds of floor area below 160 feet must be non-residential unless a residential bonus program applies.
- Dwelling units must face a street, alley or an open area at least 20 feet across in every direction.
In practice this means new housing and new offices are planned side by side. A condo next to a large parcel may see a long construction period, so check Planning’s records for nearby applications. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm controls for a specific lot with Planning or a land use attorney.
Liquefaction, flood maps and building rules
Large parts of SoMa are mapped for liquefaction. Both of our point checks, at Folsom and Ninth and on Fourth Street near Harrison, fall inside the state liquefaction zone on Planning’s layer, and the District 9 overview shows how far that zone extends. Both points are in FEMA’s unshaded Zone X on the March 2021 map, outside the 100-year floodplain.
Planning’s layer flags the zone for new buildings and for additions that grow a footprint by more than half or add more than 500 square feet of roof area, which typically call for a geotechnical investigation. For an existing building, ask what foundation type it has and whether any settlement or retrofit reports exist; our San Francisco hazard maps guide explains how to look up a parcel.
Two state inspection laws apply to many SoMa buildings. Condominium associations with three or more units must have wood-supported balconies, decks and walkways more than six feet up inspected under Civil Code Section 5551, first by January 1, 2025 and then at least every nine years. Apartment buildings with three or more units follow Health and Safety Code Section 17973 instead, covered in our SB 721 balcony inspection guide.
The roughly 190 apartment buildings of five or more units also raise rent ordinance and seismic questions; our multifamily seismic retrofit guide covers the latter.
Getting around South of Market
- BART and Muni Metro: the Market Street stations along the northern edge.
- T Third: the 4th and Brannan station, served since January 7, 2023, when the line was rerouted through the Central Subway.
- Caltrain and N Judah: both end at 4th and King, at the neighborhood’s southeast corner.
- Buses: per published route lists, the 12 Folsom/Pacific, 14 Mission and 14R Mission Rapid, and 27 Bryant cross the area; the 30 Stockton and 45 Union/Stockton end at Townsend and Fourth.
- Freeways: US 101 and Interstate 80 both run through SoMa.
Freeway proximity is a value factor in itself. Units facing the freeway viaducts compare differently from units on interior alleys, so note orientation when you compare sales.
Selling a home in South of Market
Buyers here rarely compare houses; they compare buildings, unit types and permitted uses. A seller who has the building record ready answers the first questions before they are asked.
- Confirm the unit type. A residential condo, a live/work condo and a TIC loft are different products with different lenders, rules and buyers. Check how the Assessor classes the unit and what the permit history and CC&Rs say about use.
- Assemble the HOA package. Budget, reserve study, the Section 5551 inspection report, minutes and any special assessment or litigation disclosure. Our San Francisco condo guide lists what buyers request.
- Check BMR status. About 320 9F condos are classed as below-market-rate, and those sell under program rules; see our BMR homes guide.
- Document the block. Note nearby nightlife, freight uses and approved projects so buyers are not surprised after closing.
- Line up the 3R report and transfer tax, along with the other city items listed on our San Francisco selling requirements page.
If the property is a tenant-occupied building rather than a unit, our San Francisco multifamily guide is the better starting point. Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider. Current 9F figures are in the market report on this page.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Western SoMa and Central SoMa?
They are separate area plans. Western SoMa, roughly west of Sixth Street, limits new housing south of Harrison to designated residential enclaves; Central SoMa, from Second to Sixth streets, plans offices, PDR space and housing together under Planning Code Section 249.78.
When was the Central SoMa Plan adopted?
Its special use district was added by Ordinance 296-18, approved December 12, 2018 and effective January 12, 2019.
Can I buy a live/work loft as a home?
Many people do, but a live/work condo is classed separately from a residential condo. Confirm its permitted use, the building’s CC&Rs and your lender’s rules before you write an offer.
Is South of Market in a liquefaction zone?
Large parts of it are. Point checks at Folsom and Ninth streets and on Fourth Street near Harrison both fall inside the state liquefaction zone on Planning’s map.
Are there single-family houses in SoMa?
Very few. The 2025 roll shows about 64 single-family parcels in subdistrict 9F, against more than 3,500 condo and live/work units.
Which transit serves South of Market?
Market Street BART and Muni Metro on the north edge, the T Third at 4th and Brannan, Caltrain and the N Judah at 4th and King, and bus lines including the 12, 14 and 27.
Pricing a SoMa condo or loft starts with sales of the same unit type in the same building. Request a valuation and we will pull the building record and recent 9F sales. Newer construction to the south is covered in our Mission Bay guide, and the SF District 9 overview and San Francisco guide show how SoMa fits the wider city.
Sources & notes
- DataSF / SF Assessor-Recorder: Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by property class and build year, medians and parcel extents for neighborhood codes 9F-9K, queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning, special use, height, Article 10, port jurisdiction, planning area, FEMA flood and seismic hazard layers; point and area queries, October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning Code (via GoCodebook): Sec. 249.78, Central SoMa Special Use District
- San Francisco Planning, General Plan: Western SoMa Area Plan (Eastern Neighborhoods)
- California Civil Code Sec. 5551, balcony, deck and stairway inspections for condominium associations (California Public Law mirror)
- California Health and Safety Code Sec. 17973, balcony and deck inspections for apartment buildings (California Public Law mirror)
- Wikipedia: South of Market, San Francisco (boundaries, history, landmarks; background only)
- Wikipedia: T Third Street (stations, 2007 opening, Central Subway service from January 2023)
- Wikipedia: List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines (route names and termini; status as of July 2022)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
