How Many Google Reviews Do San Francisco Businesses Have?
The typical business in San Francisco, CA has 114 Google reviews and a 4.55-star average rating, based on 650 local Google Business Profiles across 31 categories. Compared with the same kinds of businesses across the US, San Francisco businesses have 13% fewer reviews, ranking #2 of 4 California cities in our study.
Source: Feedback Guru analysis of public Google Business Profile data, collected December 2024 to January 2025. Methodology in the Google review statistics study.
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Median reviews
114
Average rating
4.55
Rated 4.5+
74%
Reviews vs. US
−13%
same categories
How Many Reviews It Takes to Stand Out in San Francisco
The median is the middle business in each category. Getting into the top 25% or top 10% of San Francisco businesses like yours is what makes a profile stand out in local results. For example, gyms in San Francisco need 166 reviews to reach the top 25% and 412 for the top 10%.
| Category | Businesses | Median reviews | Top 25% | Top 10% | Avg. rating | vs. US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyms | 44 | 47 | 166+ | 412+ | 4.7 | −40% |
| Retail Stores | 29 | 80 | 175+ | 324+ | 4.7 | −40% |
| Bars | 28 | 1,236 | 2,088+ | 3,025+ | 4.5 | +87% |
| Accountants | 23 | 9 | 25+ | 46+ | 4.7 | −25% |
| Auto Repair Shops | 22 | 128 | 300+ | 410+ | 4.8 | −9% |
| Florists | 21 | 59 | 124+ | 318+ | 4.8 | −13% |
| Food Businesses | 21 | 18 | 28+ | 40+ | 4.8 | −42% |
| Gas Stations | 21 | 186 | 238+ | 547+ | 3.5 | +102% |
| Bookstores | 20 | 224 | 548+ | 1,428+ | 4.7 | +24% |
| Grocery Stores | 20 | 1,098 | 2,421+ | 2,842+ | 4.3 | +32% |
| Cafes | 19 | 456 | 892+ | — | 4.6 | +37% |
| Dentists | 19 | 283 | 398+ | — | 4.9 | −9% |
| Financial Services | 19 | 25 | 99+ | — | 4.5 | −63% |
| Hotels and Lodging | 19 | 1,483 | 3,691+ | — | 4.1 | +84% |
| Laundromats and Dry Cleaners | 19 | 75 | 135+ | — | 4.4 | −31% |
| Lawyers | 19 | 41 | 81+ | — | 4.8 | −54% |
| Bike Shops | 18 | 132 | 169+ | — | 4.7 | −6% |
| Electricians | 18 | 33 | 43+ | — | 4.9 | +5% |
| Plumbers | 18 | 273 | 556+ | — | 4.8 | +64% |
| Veterinarians | 18 | 157 | 329+ | — | 4.5 | −37% |
| Health and Wellness | 17 | 15 | 27+ | — | 4.8 | −57% |
| Restaurants | 17 | 1,076 | 1,636+ | — | 4.6 | +27% |
| Beauty Salons | 16 | 117 | 235+ | — | 4.8 | ≈ same |
| Car Washes | 16 | 92 | 284+ | — | 4.1 | −60% |
| Movie Theaters | 14 | 350 | 777+ | — | 4.4 | −82% |
| Self Storage | 14 | 244 | 338+ | — | 4.5 | +37% |
| General Contractors | 13 | 14 | 22+ | — | 4.7 | −86% |
| Locksmiths | 13 | 55 | 196+ | — | 4.6 | −44% |
| Pharmacies | 13 | 19 | 122+ | — | 3.5 | −27% |
| Pet Stores | 11 | 118 | 460+ | — | 4.6 | −59% |
| Spas | 11 | 295 | 804+ | — | 4.7 | +207% |
Categories with at least 10 reviewed businesses in San Francisco; top 10% shown when a category has 20 or more. "vs. US median" compares the San Francisco median with the median for the same category across all 48,320 businesses in the study.
How San Francisco Compares
Measured category by category against the US, San Francisco ranks #41 of 71 cities in our study and #2 of 4 in California. Local businesses have fewer reviews than their peers nationally, so a steady stream of new reviews stands out faster here than in most cities.
Ahead of the US
- Spas3.1× as many
- Gas Stations2.0× as many
- Bars87% more
Behind the US: room to stand out
- General Contractors86% fewer
- Movie Theaters82% fewer
- Financial Services63% fewer
How Reviews Are Spread Across San Francisco Businesses
7.7% of San Francisco businesses have fewer than 10 Google reviews, and 10.5% have 1,000 or more. The most reviewed categories are hotels and lodging (1,483), bars (1,236) and grocery stores (1,098); the least reviewed are accountants (9), general contractors (14) and health and wellness (15) (median reviews).
Share of reviewed businesses by review count. Blue: San Francisco. Gray: all businesses in the study.
Using These Numbers
- Find your category above and note the top 25% number. That's a realistic goal for standing out in San Francisco.
- Ask every customer, the same way. A link in your follow-up email or text and a QR code at the counter or on receipts. See how to get more Google reviews.
- Keep it steady and reply. Recent reviews and owner replies both matter, so a few new reviews every week beats a one-time push.
Google Reviews in San Francisco: FAQ
The typical (median) business in San Francisco, CA has 114 Google reviews and the average rating is 4.55 stars. 73.7% of San Francisco businesses are rated 4.5 stars or higher. Based on 650 Google Business Profiles collected December 2024 to January 2025.
Gyms are the most common category in our San Francisco data (44 businesses). The median has 47 reviews; 166 reviews puts one in the top 25% locally, and 412 in the top 10%.
Compared with the same kinds of businesses across the US, San Francisco businesses have 13% fewer Google reviews. That ranks San Francisco #41 of the 71 cities in our study and #2 of 4 in California.
By median review count: Hotels and Lodging (1,483), Bars (1,236), Grocery Stores (1,098). The fewest: Accountants (9), General Contractors (14), Health and Wellness (15).
Ask every customer, the same way, every time: a link in your follow-up email or text, a QR code at the counter or on receipts. Make it a few taps, reply to the reviews you get, and keep it steady, because recent reviews count. Feedback Guru gives you a free review link and QR code for this.
Google Review Benchmarks for Other California Cities
- Los Angeles median 246 reviews
- Oakland median 74 reviews
- Spring Valley median 54 reviews
See Where Your San Francisco Business Stands
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