San Diego County, California Income Statistics
San Diego County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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B
San Diego County Around averageWealthier than 70% of counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $106,588 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $69,777 | $67,742 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 6.0% | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 19.4% | 17.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 21.2% | 20.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in San Diego County is about 7% higher than in California. Income has been growing faster in San Diego County (6.0%/yr) than in California (5.6%/yr).
About 19% of adults in San Diego County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, higher than the California average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in San Diego County, California grew by 68.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $106,588 in 2024. That's an average of about 6.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in San Diego County
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.552 | 0.572 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $79,174 | $75,172 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $68,102 | $66,071 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 14.0% | 12.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In San Diego County, it is 0.552, lower than California's 0.572, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 16% more than women's income in San Diego County, California. Over a 35-year career, a 16% wage gap accumulates to roughly $387,520 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in San Diego County, California has narrowed from about 18% to 14% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 18% in 2011, and was narrowest at 12% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,244 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | San Diego County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 18.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 103,147 people are unemployed in San Diego County, California.
The average commute time in San Diego County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in San Diego County, California has fallen from 8.5% to 5.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.5% in 2013 and fell as low as 5.7% in 2019.
San Diego County, CA Wealth 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 household income, at $106,588, runs 18% above the $90,339 typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.8% against a local median of 7.0%, 17% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so San Diego County, CA is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread $58,822 on median household income, 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 2nd highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, CA | 3,282,387 | $106,588 #2/6 | 6.0%/yr #2/6 | 5.8% #2/6 | 0.552 #1/6 |
| Riverside County, CA | 2,477,722 | $93,715 | 6.2%/yr | 6.5% | 0.577 |
| Orange County, CA | 3,164,225 | $116,542 | 5.1%/yr | 5.4% | 0.564 |
| Imperial County, CA | 180,111 | $57,720 | 3.9%/yr | 12.5% | 0.634 |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 9,796,997 | $90,339 | 5.6%/yr | 7.3% | 0.581 |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 2,193,778 | $86,328 | 5.8%/yr | 7.0% | 0.583 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, San Diego County, California has an overall wealth index grade of B, making it somewhat better than California, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in San Diego County, California.
How Rich Is San Diego County, California?
San Diego County has a wealth index grade of B. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a B grade means residents are quite well off compared to the U.S. average. The median household income is $106,588, about 7% higher than the California average of $99,161.
Are incomes growing in San Diego County, California?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in San Diego County, California rose 68%, from $63,297 to $106,588. Over the same years, income here outpaced California as a whole: +68% against +64%.
What was the median household income in San Diego County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in San Diego County, California was $102,312, up 5% from $97,292 in 2022. The California median that year was $96,718.
What was the median household income in San Diego County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in San Diego County, California was $83,065. By 2024 it had risen 28% to $106,588.
What is the Gini coefficient in San Diego County, California?
The Gini coefficient in San Diego County is 0.552. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in San Diego County, California?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in San Diego County, California has narrowed from about 18% to 14% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 18% in 2011, and was narrowest at 12% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,244 since 2009.
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