Carlsbad, CA
Census place 0611194 · pop 114,373
Home to Legoland California and the seasonal Flower Fields, a 50-acre hillside of ranunculus blooms.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,257,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,592/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
71 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
52 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1530 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
62.9% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
202 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
6.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.64% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
14.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
96.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
62.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$142,748 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
15.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
23.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
4.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Carlsbad, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Carlsbad scores 48/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Carlsbad, CA?
- Carlsbad reports 202 violent crimes per 100k and 1530 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Carlsbad, CA expensive to live in?
- Carlsbad has a median home value of $1,257,000 and typical rent around $3,592/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Carlsbad, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,257,000) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Carlsbad, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (4.5%) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home to Legoland California and the seasonal Flower Fields, a 50-acre hillside of ranunculus blooms.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.