Sacramento’s Homeless Population Soars By 67% And Is Now Higher Than San Francisco

Sacramento’s homeless population has spiraled out of control, soaring by 67 percent in just three years – pushing the numbers even higher than nearby San Francisco as photos show tent cities and communities of the unhoused living under bridges.

California’s capital has just over 5,000 homeless people within the city limits, many living in vehicles and tents, compared to the 4,400 homeless people estimated to live in San Francisco.

However, the number becomes more stark when factoring in the city’s population numbers – only 525,000 people live in Sacramento versus San Francisco’s 874,000.

Sacramento, which is separated by about 87 miles from San Francisco across the nearby bay, now has a staggering 952 homeless people per 100,000 citizens, versus 503 per 100,000 in San Francisco.

At its peak, an estimated 9,278 individuals in the county were experiencing homelessness in February 2022, according to Sacramento Steps Forward. That’s a whopping 67 percent increase from the peak in 2019.