SF already have the highest minimum wage in the united states. It has it's own minimum wage as a city compare to the state. That said, even if you increase to say $20/he, that roughly translate to about $40k/year. Compare that to where 6-figure salaries are the norm for entry developers (where is was maybe just $60k for fresh grads a few years back) and you can see the growing discrepancy. I understand that developers are viewed as providing greater value this they should be paid more than minimum wage laborers but that doesn't change the situation with housing costs for both buying and selling. In some cases a two bedroom place these days can go average around 3-4k for a decent place in a decent neighborhood.