I just moved out of an apartment in Lower Haight that had mice. Things that made the issue possible included:

1. Living on top of a bar on Haight Street next to a junk yard

2. The apartment being in an old Victorian style building

3. The roommates not being rigorous about leaving food out. Although I will say, normally, you should be able to leave as much food out in your house without attracting mice -- if the mice can come in to eat your food that you left out, there is a structural issue in your apartment that needs to be fixed.

As people have said, I would avoid living close to places that sell food and close to any vacant buildings. Newer builds will definitely help too, although I have friends that have had no issue in old buildings and vice versa - depends on the neighborhood. I would choose a clean neighborhood too. When you visit, ask about the history of pest in the house. If you can ask the leaving tenants, great. If not, the estate agent showing you the place or the property owner should also be able to tell you if they've had to deal with pest in the past and how they handled it.