South San Francisco is a city located in San Mateo County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,552.
The city lies north of San Francisco International Airport in a small valley between San Bruno Mountain and the Coast Range. The city is served by two major highways, U.S. Highway 101 (the Bayshore Freeway) and Interstate 280. A BART station opened in South San Francisco in 2003, supplementing Caltrain service to San Francisco and San Jose. The city's small downtown and several aging residential subdivisions are located west of the Highway 101, while the area east of Highway 101 is dominated by bland industrial complexes interspersed with futuristic office parks. The extreme western portions of the city near Interstate 280 sit along a hillside and offer views of San Francisco Bay. The southern part of the city, closest to the airport, is home to a large number of car repair shops, airport parking lots, and airport hotels.
Locals refer to the town as "South City," in much the same way that San Francisco is called "The City." People unfamiliar with the area often mistake South San Francisco as the southern part of the city of San Francisco.
South San Francisco is located at 37°39'22" North, 122°25'32" West (37.655983, -122.425525).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 77.0 km2 (29.7 mi2). 23.4 km2 (9.0 mi2) of it is land and 53.7 km2 (20.7 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 69.67% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 60,552 people, 19,677 households, and 14,659 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,591.9/km2 (6,712.8/mi2). There are 20,138 housing units at an average density of 862.0/km2 (2,232.5/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 44.05% White, 2.82% African American, 0.60% Native American, 28.92% Asian, 1.56% Pacific Islander, 15.01% from other races, and 7.05% from two or more races. 31.84% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 19,677 households out of which 35.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% are married couples living together, 13.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% are non-families. 19.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.05 and the average family size is 3.51.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $61,764, and the median income for a family is $66,598. Males have a median income of $41,442 versus $35,452 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,562. 5.2% of the population and 3.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.1% of those under the age of 18 and 3.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
By Bay Area standards (where the cost of living is very high), South San Francisco is a middle class and working class city.
Much of what is now South San Francisco was initially agricultural land, and was originally known as "Baden". Small pockets of farmland still exist near San Bruno Mountain, but these lands are disappearing quickly because of demand for housing and retail development. Acres of Orchids, founded by the Rod McLellan Co. in the 1930s, was one such victim of housing development. Once one of the largest facilities in the United States producing orchids and gardenias, the nursery closed in 1997. A new housing tract now sits upon land formerly occupied by Acres of Orchids greenhouses.
South San Francisco is considered to be an important hub of the biotech industry. The city is home to Genentech, one of the world's largest biotech companies. Many other biotech companies have also started or moved to South San Francisco to be in proximity to Genentech, as well as UCSF, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley; all within a one hour drive. Additionally, South San Francisco's office parks and industrial zoning are favorable to meet needs of the biotech industry.
See's Candies, is also headquartered in South San Francisco.
Source:
SouthSanFranciscoCalifornia.com
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