California’s tech Mecca saw largest drop in median income during pandemic as the wealthy fled cities

San Francisco saw the single largest drop in median income of any major city in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic as wealthy tech workers fled the city in droves, according to census data.

The U.S. Census Bureau compiled data on the nation's top 25 most populous metropolitan areas from 2019 to 2021 to help determine the impact of the pandemic. Median household income for the area of San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland fell 4.6% from $121,551 in 2019 to $116,005 in 2021. New York City followed closely, however, with a drop of 4.2%.

San Francisco also saw a major spike in homelessness throughout the pandemic, further contributing to the exodus of workers and companies.