Los Angeles vs San Francisco
Los Angeles leads San Francisco by 3 points on the CIRA Index, 74 to 71. Los Angeles grades better on 5 measures, San Francisco on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Los Angeles 74, San Francisco 71
- OECD: Los Angeles 73, San Francisco 72
- UN Tourism: Los Angeles 73, San Francisco 71
- UNDRR: Los Angeles 64, San Francisco 69
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Los Angeles 79, San Francisco 80
- Economy and jobs: Los Angeles 94, San Francisco 94
- Climate and hazards: Los Angeles 60, San Francisco 65
- Water and environment: Los Angeles 56, San Francisco 63
- Community and housing: Los Angeles 67, San Francisco 33
- Access and continuity: Los Angeles 83, San Francisco 88
Where Los Angeles is stronger
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 71.7 % average annual occupancy (Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board / Tourism Economics, 2023). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
- Green space: 24.9 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (USDA Forest Service / TreePeople & Loyola Marymount University CURes assessment, 2020). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
- Rent growth: -1.1 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Apartment List, Los Angeles Rent Report, September 2025–September 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
- Resident support for tourism: 64 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (country figure) (Destinations International & Longwoods International, United States Industry Brief: 2024 National Resident Sentiment, 2024). Between 60 and 70: grade 3/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, Amtrak, Caltrans, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
Where San Francisco is stronger
- Extreme heat days: 0.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 513.8 kg per resident per year (San Francisco Planning Department / CalRecycle, Potrero Power Station Mixed-Use Project EIR / CalRecycle Jurisdiction Review, 2022). Between 450 and 550: grade 2/4.
- Short-let density: 1.8 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Inside Airbnb and U.S. Census Bureau (2024 ACS 1-Year Estimates), 2024–2026). Between 1 and 2: grade 2/4.
- Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (City and County of San Francisco (SF.gov), 2025-2026). Grade 4/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (San Francisco Travel Association, 2025). Grade 2/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Los Angeles in full · San Francisco in full
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