Carlsbad, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Carlsbad, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 112,376 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2872.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.17% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 42,653 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Carlsbad grew by 25.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 112,376 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Carlsbad is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.5% of residents. That is 3.6 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 21,102 18.8% -2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 23,192 20.6% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 26,361 23.5% +3.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 19,401 17.3% +2.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Carlsbad and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% California 49.9%
- Men 49.8% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Carlsbad
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Economy
Carlsbad has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $145,720 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.09% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Carlsbad is about 47% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $660,273 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,779 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Carlsbad is about 19.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,779 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Carlsbad spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 190 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.7 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.5 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 190 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,875 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 32.5% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 50,875 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,111 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Carlsbad is about the same as in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Carlsbad has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.63 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Carlsbad has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Carlsbad | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 8.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Carlsbad, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Carlsbad, CA is the 2nd largest of the 5 cities compared here, 112,376 residents against a local median of 90,913. Carlsbad, CA's median household income, at $145,720, runs 41% above the $103,638 typical of the cities around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $660,273 against a local median of $856,554, 23% below it. The cities themselves spread $61,049 on median household income, so Carlsbad, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carlsbad, CA has the 2nd highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad, CA | 112,376 | $145,720 #2/5 | $660,273 #4/5 | 22.7 min #2/5 |
| Encinitas, CA | 61,025 | $154,129 | $2,167,797 | 21.7 min |
| Vista, CA | 92,368 | $93,080 | $1,024,071 | 23.4 min |
| Oceanside, CA | 169,882 | $98,361 | $689,038 | 23.7 min |
| San Marcos, CA | 89,459 | $108,916 | $648,515 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Carlsbad, California.
How many people live in Carlsbad, California?
About 112,376 people live in Carlsbad, California, in 42,653 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Carlsbad, California?
Averaged over its land area, Carlsbad, California has 2,873 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 33 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Carlsbad, California?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($660,273 against $145,720), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,779 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Carlsbad, California?
55.9% of adults in Carlsbad, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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