Census tract · San Diego County
Census Tract 159.02, San Diego County, California
Census Tract 159.02, GEOID 06073015902, in San Diego County, California, entirely within El Cajon. 5,586 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±839); the 2020 Census counted 5,340.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,586
±839 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,340
Median household income
$46,969
±$15,752 (90% margin)
San Diego County: $106,268
Median home value
$699,100
±$77,766 (90% margin)
San Diego County: $854,700
Median gross rent
$1,809
±$68 (90% margin)
San Diego County: $2,246
Where is Census Tract 159.02?
Census Tract 159.02 is one of 737 census tracts in San Diego County, California. It covers 0.43 square miles of land, 12,506 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 06073015902, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| El Cajon | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 159.02: Tract 153.01 ($78,580), Tract 153.02 ($112,656), Tract 158.02 ($60,368), Tract 159.01 ($46,372) and Tract 160 ($90,357). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 159.02?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 159.02's population at 5,586 (±839) in 1,761 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,340 residents and 1,856 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 159.02 | El Cajon |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,586±839 | 104,449 |
| Households | 1,761±254 | 33,890 |
| Average household size | 3.17±0.25 | 2.97 |
| Housing units | 1,761±254 | 35,185 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 159.02?
The median resident of Census Tract 159.02 is 32.6 years old; 31.2% are under 18 and 11.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 48.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 33.4%. 36.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 159.02 | El Cajon |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.6±2.0 | 36.1 |
| Under 18 years | 31.2%±4.2 pts | 25.6% |
| 65 years and over | 11.3%±3.0 pts | 14.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 33.4%±10.6 pts | 29.0% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 48.8%±12.1 pts | 51.9% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.7%±2.4 pts | 5.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 9.6%±5.2 pts | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.3%±1.6 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.8 pts | 0.8% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0%±2.4 pts | 6.7% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.4 pts | 0.3% |
| Born outside the United States | 36.7%±7.6 pts | 29.3% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 64.0%±9.8 pts | 44.7% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.4%±2.4 pts | 6.5% |
| With a disability | 16.9%±3.5 pts | 15.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.0%±5.1 pts | 6.5% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 77.4%±5.5 pts | 84.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.7%±4.0 pts | 23.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.2%±2.6 pts | 7.4% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.8%±6.5 pts | 84.6% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 159.02 earn?
Half of the 1,761 households in Census Tract 159.02 earn less than $46,969 a year (±$15,752), against $106,268 across San Diego County: 710th highest of the county's 725 tracts with a reliable estimate. 26.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 159.02 | El Cajon |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,969±$15,752 | $67,511 |
| Mean household income | $74,183±$13,918 | $90,201 |
| Per capita income | $24,016±$4,489 | $31,254 |
| People below the poverty line | 26.4%±8.3 pts | 20.5% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 25.7%±14.8 pts | 26.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 29.5%±7.9 pts | 27.1% |
| Households with a computer | 98.1%±2.1 pts | 96.5% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.1%±3.1 pts | 93.6% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 159.02?
Owners occupy 25.2% of Census Tract 159.02's occupied homes and renters 74.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $699,100 by its owner (±$77,766). The median renter pays $1,809 a month including utilities, and 65.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 159.02 | El Cajon |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $699,100±$77,766 | $681,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,809±$68 | $1,856 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 65.1%±12.3 pts | 60.9% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,287±$189 | $2,722 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 25.2%±5.8 pts | 41.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 74.8%±5.8 pts | 58.5% |
| Housing units | 1,761±254 | 35,185 |
| Single-family detached homes | 35.4%±7.9 pts | 39.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 4.5% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 0.5% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.4%±4.6 pts | 3.2% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.2%±3.7 pts | 1.8% |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.3%±12.7 pts | 8.1% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 159.02 get to work?
75.3% of Census Tract 159.02's workers drive alone and 11.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 10.2%.
| Measure | Tract 159.02 | El Cajon |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 56.7%±4.2 pts | 61.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.2%±4.5 pts | 9.6% |
| Drove alone to work | 75.3%±7.3 pts | 72.6% |
| Carpooled | 8.0%±4.2 pts | 9.4% |
| Public transportation | 3.2%±3.6 pts | 2.3% |
| Walked | 1.2%±1.2 pts | 2.3% |
| Worked from home | 11.2%±5.4 pts | 11.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.3 min±3.4 | 24.8 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 159.02 compare with the other tracts in San Diego County?
Among San Diego County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 159.02 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In San Diego County | In El Cajon |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 164th of 735 | 5th of 22 |
| Residents per square mile | 123rd of 736 | 12th of 22 |
| Median household income | 710th of 725 | 17th of 22 |
| Per capita income | 703rd of 734 | 15th of 22 |
| Median home value | 475th of 703 | 7th of 18 |
| Median gross rent | 609th of 703 | 16th of 22 |
| Poverty rate | 31st of 472 | 5th of 19 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 682nd of 732 | 20th of 21 |
| Median age | 618th of 735 | 18th of 22 |
| Owner-occupied share | 612th of 708 | 14th of 20 |
The tracts next to it on San Diego County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 154.07 | 707th | $49,544±$10,493 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 120.02 | 708th | $48,786±$7,463 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 52.02 | 709th | $47,056±$19,658 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 159.02 | 710th | $46,969±$15,752 |
| Tract 39.02 | 711th | $46,875±$23,527 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 164.04 | 712th | $46,835±$22,552 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 159.01 | 713th | $46,372±$10,809 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 159.02?
Every figure for Census Tract 159.02 on this page has a coefficient of variation under 40%, the Census Bureau's threshold for a usable estimate.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections