It's official: San Francisco has been taken over by the "lattes and laptops" set. A new map from demographic data analysts at ESRI breaks down demographics and lifestyles by zip code, classifying each neighborhood with a catchy title like "Trendsetters," "Social Security Set," or San Francisco's most popular, "Lattes and Laptops." The classifications go beyond basic information like marital status and income to explore where people shop, what kinds of technology they use, and how they manage their money. The map covers the entire country (check out LA's breakdown), and many of the classifications that pop up in other places like Soccer Moms and rural Green Acres don't appear in San Francisco at all. Laptops and lattes types generally don't own a home but invest in mutual funds and put money away for retirement. They exercise regularly, travel, and partake in all sorts of cultural events. And they dominate most zip codes in San Francisco, from the Marina to Glen Park.
A few spots within the city are notably not made up of Latte and Laptops. The 94110 and 94103 zip codes that encompass the Mission, Bernal Heights and SoMa are dominated by a somewhat similar but younger class called Trendsetters. These young, educated singles believe that "you're only young once" and spend most of their income on rent. Texting and social media are essentials, and fashion is important, too.
Out on the city's western and southern edges, a classification that is somewhat ironically called Pacific Heights (given that the actual Pacific Heights is firmly in the Laptops and Lattes camp) dominates. Members of the Pacific Heights group are often Asian or multi-racial, and many are foreign born. They own their homes and work in business, computers, and engineering. For fun, they "gamble at casinos, visit theme parks, and eat out at family restaurants."
A similar demographic called Urban Chic takes over zip code 94127, near Mount Davidson. These married couples and singles work in professional and managerial positions and have healthy investment portfolios. They own Apple products, drink imported wine, ski, and practice yoga.
So are there any areas of the city that aren't taken over by yuppies? Zip codes 94102 (the Tenderloin) and adjacent 94108 are home to the Social Security set. These singles live on low, fixed incomes and get payments from Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and public assistance. Bills are paid in person in cash and cable TV is a main entertainment source.
Zip code 94121 in the Outer Richmond is comprised primarily of a group called "Downtown Melting Pot." These married couple families are a "rich blend of races and ethnicities," with one-third of residents not speaking English. People rent apartments in older buildings, have long commutes, and spend carefully.
There are plenty more classifications used by the ESRI team, but none have enough of a hold on San Francisco to dominate a zip code. Further afield, you can find "Top Tier" residents around the Burlingame and Palo Alto zip codes, "International Marketplace" families that are generally young and Hispanic in Redwood City, and young, price-savvy "City Lights" residents who are passionate about social welfare and budgeting over in Alameda.
· Tapestry Map [ESRI]
· Mapping LA Neighborhoods by Yuppies, Cool Kids, Do-Gooders, Elites, and More [Curbed LA]