With 104,449 people, El Cajon is a city in California. Owners hold 42% of the housing stock. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $681,700. 29% of residents were born outside the United States. Density works out to 7,198 people per square mile. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $67,511, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 110%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about El Cajon
What changed most since 1990
White share80.0% → 51.9%(−28.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Poverty rate12.9% → 20.5%(+7.6 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree14.4% → 23.0%(+8.6 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
El Cajon's population equals 3.2% of San Diego County's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 6.3% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 1.6% of the county's.
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)37.5%(1,889)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25%(1,258)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.8%(1,605)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.5%(178)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 5,040 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
Over time
El Cajon, decade by decade
El Cajon population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
88,693
$67,461
$377,291
14.4%
42.6
2000
94,869
$64,789
$325,348
14.5%
65.9
2010
99,478
$67,682
$559,460
16.2%
73.8
2020
106,215
$68,319
$570,628
22.1%
78.2
2024
104,449
$67,511
$681,700
23.0%
79.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
