San Diego, CA
Census place 0666000 · pop 1,389,526
Home of the San Diego Zoo and the largest U.S. Navy fleet concentration on the West Coast.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$906,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
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 $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,987/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
47.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
414 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
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 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
1693 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
11.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.66% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
19.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$108,077 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
51.0% 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
9.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
24.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is San Diego, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, San Diego scores 40/100 — 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 adult obesity 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 San Diego, CA?
- San Diego reports 414 violent crimes per 100k and 1693 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is San Diego, CA expensive to live in?
- San Diego has a median home value of $906,700 and typical rent around $2,987/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in San Diego, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($906,700) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is San Diego, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (24.2%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the San Diego Zoo and the largest U.S. Navy fleet concentration on the West Coast.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.