San Diego County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Diego County, 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 averageHealthier than 75% of counties in California
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 70% of counties in California
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 81% of counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,282,387 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 725.8 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.14% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,168,634 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Diego County grew by 8.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,282,387 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Diego County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.6% of residents. That is 1.0 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 734,917 22.4% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 808,939 24.6% +1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 629,155 19.2% -0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 491,687 15.0% -0.3 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 49.4% of the people living in San Diego County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% California 49.9%
- Men 50.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in San Diego County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
San Diego County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,588 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.97% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Diego County is about 7% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $797,190 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,246 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.6% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Diego County is about 29.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,246 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Diego County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.6 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.3 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,850 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,489 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,456 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in San Diego County 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
San Diego County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.3% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
San Diego County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.3% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
San Diego County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
San Diego County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 3,282,387 residents against a local median of 2,477,722. San Diego County, CA's median home price, at $797,190, runs 66% above the $479,061 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $106,588 against a local median of $90,339, 18% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 18% above the local median it puts San Diego County, CA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $740,627 on median home price, so San Diego County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Diego County, CA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, CA | 3,282,387 | $106,588 #2/6 | $797,190 #3/6 | 22.6 min #2/6 |
| Riverside County, CA | 2,477,722 | $93,715 | $479,061 | 28.1 min |
| Orange County, CA | 3,164,225 | $116,542 | $1,003,714 | 23.1 min |
| Imperial County, CA | 180,111 | $57,720 | $263,087 | 17.9 min |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | $90,339 | $934,813 | 28.2 min |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 2,193,778 | $86,328 | $419,799 | 25.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Diego County, California.
How many people live in San Diego County, California?
About 3,282,387 people live in San Diego County, California, in 1,168,634 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 38.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is San Diego County, California?
Averaged over its land area, San Diego County, California has 726 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is San Diego County, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 7.5 times the median household income ($797,190 against $106,588), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,246 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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