San Diego, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Diego, 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.
-
A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,376,522 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3696.1 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.16% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.0 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 524,927 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Diego grew by 7.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,376,522 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Diego is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.5% of residents. That is 2.9 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 328,084 23.8% +2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 365,066 26.5% +2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 256,786 18.7% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 190,747 13.9% -1.4 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 49.0% of the people living in San Diego and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% California 49.9%
- Men 51.0% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in San Diego
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
San Diego has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,142 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.92% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Diego is about 9% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $843,873 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,311 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 47.3% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Diego is about 30.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,311 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Diego spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.5 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.1 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,566 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.2% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 21,926 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,539 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in San Diego 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
San Diego has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.0% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
San Diego has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | San Diego | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
San Diego, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
San Diego, CA is the largest of the 6 cities compared here, 1,376,522 residents against a local median of 57,784. Where San Diego, CA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 28% above the local median of $657,064 at $843,873.
The cities themselves spread $142,453 on median home price, so San Diego, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Diego, CA has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | 1,376,522 | $108,142 #2/6 | $843,873 #1/6 | 21.5 min #1/6 |
| La Mesa, CA | 61,731 | $95,096 | $625,413 | 22.3 min |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 28,050 | $89,238 | $681,698 | 26.3 min |
| Santee, CA | 58,712 | $114,302 | $590,423 | 25.2 min |
| National City, CA | 57,784 | $67,172 | $732,876 | 22.4 min |
| La Presa, CA | 34,750 | $96,192 | $657,064 | 23.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Diego, California.
How many people live in San Diego, California?
About 1,376,522 people live in San Diego, California, in 524,927 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is San Diego, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, San Diego, California has 3,696 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 43 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in San Diego, California?
The median home costs 7.8 times the median household income ($843,873 against $108,142), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,311 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in San Diego, California?
44.0% of adults in San Diego, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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