Encinitas, CA

Census place 0622678 · pop 61,480

D−50/ 100
🫤 Rough
B
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Inactive14.9% · top 3%
🚽 Cost$1,646,800 · bottom 1%
💡 Did you know?

Home to the famed Swami's surf break and the gold-domed Self-Realization Fellowship hermitage.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.50% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Housing cost$1,646,8001

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$1,646,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$4,448/mo1

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$4,448/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Air quality (AQI)County-level71 AQI5

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.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1006

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.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level52 days6

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.

Population growth (5yr)-2.1%18

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-2.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Income inequality0.4629

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).

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.1%32

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.

Commute time25 min44

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Violent crime rate217/100k47

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

217 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Homeownership66.5%57

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

66.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Property crime rate968/100k64

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

968 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Poverty rate7.4%72

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

7.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health14.4%84

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Broadband access96.4%89

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

96.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Property-tax burden0.50%90

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.50% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Adult smoking7.8%93

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

7.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Bachelor's degree or higher67.7%95

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

67.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult obesity23.4%95

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

23.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Median household income$162,22996

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$162,229 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Uninsured adults4.4%96

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

4.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Physical inactivity14.9%97

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

14.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Frequently asked

Is Encinitas, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Encinitas scores 50/100 — 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 physical inactivity 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 Encinitas, CA?
Encinitas reports 217 violent crimes per 100k and 968 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Encinitas, CA expensive to live in?
Encinitas has a median home value of $1,646,800 and typical rent around $4,448/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Encinitas, CA?
Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,646,800) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Encinitas, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is physical inactivity (14.9%) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home to the famed Swami's surf break and the gold-domed Self-Realization Fellowship hermitage.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.