City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

San Diego, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for San Diego - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,385,061
Residents
$104,321
Median income
$848,500
Median home
$3,001
Median rent (state)

San Diego - the verdict

San Diego ranks in the 80th percentile for household income and the 30th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

80th
percentile, household income
95th
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
30th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: San Diego, CA

1,385,061 people live in San Diego, California - a major U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. San Diego households earn a median of $104,321 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.9%. San Diego's housing stock carries a median value of $848,500, and the median resident age is 36.0 years. Educational attainment runs 49.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 61.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 6,615 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 68% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2082.2 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $3,001 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). Workers in San Diego report an average commute of 19.3 minutes, with 64.2% driving alone and 19.2% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.7 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

1,385,061 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$104,321 /yr

Poverty 6.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does San Diego compare to other US cities?

San Diego measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 80% higher than other cities
Home value 95% pricier than other cities
Median rent 98% pricier than other cities
Safety 30% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, San Diego ranks #250 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares San Diego against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places San Diego toward the top of California's cities

Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, San Diego ranks #278 - the 81st percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares San Diego only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#461 of 1,338
66th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#287 of 1,458
76th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#329 of 1,343
76th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#694 of 1,450
52nd percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#278 of 1,458
81st percentile in California

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

80thIncome percentile
30thSafety percentile

80th percentile nationally for median household income · 30th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

San Diego's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

San Diego's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
San Diego's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How San Diego's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$848,500 5th percentile more affordable than 5% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. San Diego $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - San Diego, CA San Diego, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not San Diego, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution San Diego, CA median $104,321/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
San Diego, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for San Diego, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 49.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,385,061
Median Income
$104,321
Median Home Value
$848,500
Median Age
36.0
Poverty Rate
6.9%
Labor force participation
61.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
49.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2082.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
412.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1670.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
284
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
1,360,000 residents1,380,000 residents1,400,000 residents1,420,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 1,382,566 residents 1,406,106 residents ▲ +1.7%
San Diego's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
6,615
housing units authorized
Single-Family
775
detached homes
Multifamily
5,840
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3,941
2020 4,682
2021 4,788
2022 4,422
2023 5,765
2024 6,615

Permit volume increased 68% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.3 minutes
Drive Alone
64.2%
Carpool
7.8%
Public Transit
3.0%
Walk
3.4%
Work from Home
19.2%
Other
2.4%

Based on 728,948 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county San Diego sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,001/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

San Jose
990,054 people
San Francisco
836,321 people
Fresno
543,615 people
Sacramento
524,802 people
Long Beach
458,491 people
Oakland
438,072 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to San Diego's 1,385,061 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

San Antonio, TX
1,458,954 people
Dallas, TX
1,299,553 people
Philadelphia, PA
1,582,432 people
Phoenix, AZ
1,624,832 people
Austin, TX
967,862 people
Jacksonville, FL
961,739 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to San Diego's $104,321 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

West Haven, UT
$104,307 median income
Big Coppitt Key, FL
$104,306 median income
Germantown, WI
$104,337 median income
Balm, FL
$104,347 median income
Inglenook, CT
$104,375 median income
Maili, HI
$104,375 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - San Diego, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition San Diego, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 50.4% 17.6% 9.5% 15.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 29.6% White 50.4% Black or African American 5.7% Asian 17.6% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.5% Some other race 9.5% Two or more races 15.6% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How San Diego compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
San Diego (this city) 1,385,061 $104,321
San Jose 990,054 $141,565
San Francisco 836,321 $141,446
Fresno 543,615 $66,804
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about San Diego, CA?

What is the population of San Diego, CA? +

The population of San Diego, CA stands at 1,385,061 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in San Diego, CA? +

San Diego households earn a median of $104,321 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in San Diego? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for San Diego; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is San Diego, CA safe? +

San Diego has a total crime rate of 2082.2 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in San Diego, CA? +

The median home value in San Diego is $848,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.