The San Francisco Bay Area, colloquially known as the Bay Area, is a geographically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco Bay in Northern California. It encompasses the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland, and their many suburbs. It also includes the smaller urban and rural areas of the North Bay. Home to almost seven million people, it comprises cities, towns, military bases, airports, and associated regional, state, and national parks sprawled over nine counties and connected by a massive network of roads, highways, railroads, bridges, and commuter rail. San Francisco apartments for rent comparison page shows most up to date rent information on San Francisco apartments and houses. Rent information is obtained from multiple rental sources but we cannot guarantee their accuracy.