National City, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
National City, 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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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | National City | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,784 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6287.5 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.45% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,945 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in National City grew by 7.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 57,784 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in National City is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.8% of residents. That is 3.1 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,354 24.8% +3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,392 23.2% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,104 17.5% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,155 14.1% -1.1 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 National City and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% California 49.9%
- Men 49.8% California 50.1%
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Economy
National City has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | National City | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,172 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.11% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in National City is about 32% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | National City | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $732,876 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,679 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 35.2% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in National City is about 36.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,679 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in National City spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 186 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | National City | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.4 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.8 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 186 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,781 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 41,364 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,360 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in National City is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes 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
National City has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | National City | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.00 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
National City has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | National City | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
National City, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
National City, CA is the 2nd largest of the 4 cities compared here, 57,784 residents against a local median of 28,050. National City, CA's median household income, at $67,172, runs 25% below the $89,238 typical of the cities around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread $21,599 on median household income, so National City, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. National City, CA has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National City, CA | 57,784 | $67,172 #4/4 | $732,876 #1/4 | 22.4 min #1/4 |
| Chula Vista, CA | 265,525 | $105,666 | $704,019 | 25.6 min |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 28,050 | $89,238 | $681,698 | 26.3 min |
| Imperial Beach, CA | 25,196 | $84,067 | $528,248 | 26.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about National City, California.
How big is National City, California by population?
About 57,784 people live in National City, California, in 17,945 households of 3.0 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is National City, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, National City, California has 6,287 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 73 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in National City, California?
The median home costs 10.9 times the median household income ($732,876 against $67,172), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,679 a month takes about 30% of the median household's income, right at the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in National City, California have a college degree?
14.9% of adults in National City, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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