Solana Beach, CA

Census place 0672506 · pop 12,823

D53/ 100
😐 Meh
B
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Inactive14.6% · top 3%
🚽 Cost$2,000,001 · bottom 1%
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$2,000,0010

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

$2,000,001 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$5,388/mo1

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

$5,388/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)-4.0%11

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

-4.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Income inequality0.5012

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.50 (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.

Property crime rate1175/100k55

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

1175 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Homeownership67.7%61

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

67.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Violent crime rate111/100k69

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

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

Commute time21 min69

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

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

Poverty rate5.5%83

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

5.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health13.6%90

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

13.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Property-tax burden0.50%91

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.

Broadband access96.6%91

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

96.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Median household income$152,16795

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

$152,167 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult smoking7.0%96

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

7.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Bachelor's degree or higher72.3%96

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

72.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult obesity22.6%97

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

22.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Uninsured adults4.2%97

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

4.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Physical inactivity14.6%97

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

14.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Frequently asked

Is Solana Beach, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Solana Beach scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) 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 Solana Beach, CA?
Solana Beach reports 111 violent crimes per 100k and 1175 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Solana Beach, CA expensive to live in?
Solana Beach has a median home value of $2,000,001 and typical rent around $5,388/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Solana Beach, CA?
Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($2,000,001) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Solana Beach, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is physical inactivity (14.6%) — 97/100, better than most U.S. cities.

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