CITY
Carlsbad
California · 112,260 residents (2025 est.) · 37.8 sq mi
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Part of the San Diego metro area
The short version
With 114,373 people, Carlsbad is a city in California. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $1,257,000. 62% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Median rent is $2,808 a month. Few US cities rank higher on income. 36,126 more people live here than in 2000.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
62% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 123%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
114,373
+46%since 2000
from 78,247 in 2000
112,260 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
37.8 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024114K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.7%(5,330)
5 to 96.2%(7,135)
10 to 147.7%(8,821)
15 to 196.6%(7,508)
20 to 244%(4,592)
25 to 3410.5%(12,053)
35 to 4413.8%(15,769)
45 to 5413.9%(15,887)
55 to 6413.8%(15,820)
65 to 7410%(11,396)
75 to 846.8%(7,751)
85 and over2%(2,311)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$142,748
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $65,145 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
72.9%
+17.3 ptssince 2009
from 55.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.6%
Other services9.5%
Information9%
Public administration5.5%
Wholesale trade4.2%
Arts, entertainment, food3.7%
Finance & insurance2.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
Education & health services0.4%
Construction0.4%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$1,257,000
+123%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $308,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
8.8
+12%since 2009
from 7.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
73
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic80.5%(63,013)
Black0.9%(691)
Hispanic / Latino11.7%(9,170)
Asian4.2%(3,271)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic65.7%(75,181)
Black1.3%(1,442)
Hispanic / Latino17.4%(19,871)
Asian8%(9,123)
Other7.7%(8,756)
66
+36%since 2009
from 48 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican12.8%(14,682)
South American1.5%(1,719)
Central American0.8%(932)
Peruvian0.5%(598)
Salvadoran0.5%(547)
Puerto Rican0.4%(493)
Spaniard0.3%(367)
Ecuadorian0.2%(281)
Colombian0.2%(272)
Cuban0.2%(198)
Chilean0.2%(195)
Argentine0.1%(167)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Guatemalan0.1%(146)
Venezuelan0.1%(143)
Nicaraguan0.1%(100)
Dominican0%(48)
Bolivian0%(38)
Panamanian0%(37)
Paraguayan0%(18)
Honduran0%(13)
Uruguayan0%(7)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.1%(2,349)
Chinese2%(2,249)
Filipino1.2%(1,348)
Vietnamese0.7%(857)
Japanese0.7%(830)
Korean0.4%(475)
Kazakh0.1%(137)
Taiwanese0.1%(74)
Pakistani0%(57)
Burmese0%(43)
Thai0%(37)
Cambodian0%(32)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.4%(483)
Chamorro0.3%(311)
Tongan0.1%(89)
Guamanian0%(17)
Samoan0%(16)
Ancestry
German14.3%(16,411)
English13.7%(15,685)
Irish12.4%(14,141)
Italian7.1%(8,142)
American3.6%(4,112)
Swedish2.9%(3,321)
Scottish2.6%(3,021)
Polish2.6%(2,948)
French2.3%(2,662)
Norwegian2.3%(2,590)
Russian2.1%(2,377)
Dutch1.2%(1,354)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1.1%(1,294)
British1.1%(1,203)
Scotch-Irish1%(1,117)
Subsaharan African1%(1,100)
Iranian0.8%(911)
Arab0.8%(894)
Ukrainian0.8%(869)
Hungarian0.7%(788)
Lithuanian0.6%(715)
Greek0.6%(666)
Welsh0.4%(498)
French Canadian0.4%(490)
Austrian0.4%(484)
Portuguese0.4%(461)
Australian0.4%(448)
Croatian0.4%(439)
Swiss0.4%(419)
Brazilian0.4%(415)
Czech0.3%(370)
Lebanese0.3%(358)
Armenian0.3%(344)
Finnish0.3%(306)
Nigerian0.2%(285)
Egyptian0.2%(264)
Canadian0.2%(233)
Belgian0.2%(217)
Romanian0.2%(195)
Slovak0.2%(195)
Turkish0.2%(189)
Bulgarian0.2%(187)
Syrian0.2%(176)
Latvian0.1%(136)
West Indian0.1%(117)
Serbian0.1%(70)
Jamaican0.1%(69)
Macedonian0.1%(65)
Slovene0%(45)
Moroccan0%(40)
Haitian0%(34)
Iraqi0%(33)
Israeli0%(27)
Ethiopian0%(18)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(14)
Palestinian0%(8)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
96.3%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 93.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.1%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 72.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
98.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 97.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.1%(13,836)
Married61.2%(28,081)
Widowed1.7%(793)
Divorced7%(3,198)
Women 15+
Never married23%(10,840)
Married57.3%(27,050)
Widowed5.5%(2,603)
Divorced14.2%(6,686)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
17.6%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 18.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 80.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.3%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 25.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)29.4%(1,777)
Gulf War (1990s)26.8%(1,616)
Vietnam era35%(2,112)
Korean War5.6%(341)
World War II1.7%(102)
Share of the 6,040 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Carlsbad, California?
Carlsbad, California has about 114,373 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Carlsbad, California?
The typical household in Carlsbad, California earns about $142,748 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Carlsbad, California expensive?
In Carlsbad, California, the median home is worth about $1,257,000, and the typical rent is about $2,808 a month.
How educated are people in Carlsbad, California?
About 62.1% of adults age 25 and over in Carlsbad, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Carlsbad, California?
About 6.9% of people in Carlsbad, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has Carlsbad, California grown since 1990?
Yes, Carlsbad, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 51,247 residents, a change of about 81 percent over that period.
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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024