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CITY

El Cajon

California · 101,755 residents (2025 est.) · 14.51 sq mi
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The short version

El Cajon has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $67,511. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $681,700. The poverty rate of 20.5% is well above the national figure. Households here earn about 32% less than the California median.

At a glance
Lower income
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
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
104,449
+10%since 2000
from 94,869 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
7,198 / sq mi
+13%since 2009
from 6,365 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
36.1
+13%since 2000
from 31.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:101,755 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
87K92K97K103K108K1990201020202024El Cajon
2024104K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57%(7,281)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.4%(7,683)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.1%(7,375)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(7,019)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.2%(6,497)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.8%(14,363)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.9%(15,528)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.8%(11,269)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.8%(12,273)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.1%(9,503)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.9%(4,055)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(1,603)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$67,511
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,566 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,254
+87%since 2000
from $16,698 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
45.7%
+17.2 ptssince 2009
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
20.5%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 16.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.455
+5%since 2010
from 0.434 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services5.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$681,700
+110%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $178,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,856
+52%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $671 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
41.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 40.5% in 2000
58.5% rent
Vacancy rate
3.7%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
35.6%
−7.3 ptssince 2009
from 42.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
66.4%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 57.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
10.1
+18%since 2009
from 8.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
54
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in El Cajon on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic64.5%(61,188)
Black5.1%(4,828)
Hispanic / Latino22.5%(21,313)
Asian2.6%(2,511)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic51.9%(54,194)
Black5.8%(6,019)
Hispanic / Latino29%(30,244)
Asian5.3%(5,576)
Other8.1%(8,416)
Diversity Score
79
+7%since 2009
from 74 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
Mexican25.1%(26,258)
Central American1.2%(1,280)
Guatemalan0.8%(814)
Puerto Rican0.7%(713)
Spaniard0.4%(403)
Colombian0.2%(253)
Salvadoran0.2%(250)
Dominican0.1%(115)
Costa Rican0.1%(113)
Peruvian0.1%(97)
Cuban0.1%(73)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(66)
Bolivian0%(32)
Honduran0%(24)
Chilean0%(23)
Argentine0%(12)
Asian origin
Filipino1.8%(1,904)
Kazakh1.7%(1,763)
Chinese0.5%(506)
Vietnamese0.4%(398)
Asian Indian0.3%(340)
Pakistani0.1%(148)
Cambodian0.1%(113)
Korean0.1%(105)
Japanese0.1%(102)
Thai0%(43)
Burmese0%(21)
Taiwanese0%(15)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.5%(474)
Chamorro0.4%(452)
Guamanian0.2%(170)
Chuukese0.1%(143)
Tongan0.1%(133)
Ancestry
Arab11.3%(11,838)
Iraqi7.6%(7,981)
German6.9%(7,187)
English6.3%(6,573)
Irish5.3%(5,584)
Italian3%(3,164)
American2.8%(2,966)
Polish1.3%(1,373)
French1.2%(1,222)
Norwegian1.1%(1,122)
Syrian0.9%(905)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish0.8%(872)
Swedish0.7%(680)
Portuguese0.6%(672)
Dutch0.6%(660)
Armenian0.5%(563)
Iranian0.5%(490)
Russian0.5%(480)
Hungarian0.4%(393)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(295)
Palestinian0.3%(290)
British0.3%(287)
Welsh0.3%(279)
Belgian0.2%(258)
Swiss0.2%(240)
Israeli0.2%(239)
Ukrainian0.2%(230)
Czech0.2%(217)
Danish0.2%(191)
Romanian0.2%(175)
Greek0.2%(170)
Lebanese0.1%(146)
West Indian0.1%(137)
Finnish0.1%(112)
Ethiopian0.1%(101)
Egyptian0.1%(84)
Canadian0.1%(61)
Austrian0.1%(60)
Croatian0%(44)
Brazilian0%(41)
Jamaican0%(40)
Serbian0%(31)
Nigerian0%(26)
Jordanian0%(19)
Slovak0%(18)
Turkish0%(18)
Somali0%(13)
Latvian0%(12)
Haitian0%(6)
Slovene0%(3)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest Arab population · Largest Iraqi population · Largest German population · Largest English population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.0%
+8.6 ptssince 2000
from 14.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
84.4%
+5.2 ptssince 2000
from 79.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 4.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.8 min
+41%since 2000
from 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.6%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 75.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.3%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.4%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.1%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
9.6%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 12.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
61.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 63.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
11.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
31.4%
−28.0 ptssince 2009
from 59.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
50.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
29.3%
+7.2 ptssince 2009
from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.5%
−41.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.7%
+3.0 ptssince 2012
from 12.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.5%
−73.1 ptssince 2013
from 79.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.6%
+8.0 ptssince 2017
from 85.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
55.3%
−2.0 ptssince 2016
from 57.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
19.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2016
from 19.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.6%(16,322)
Married47%(18,875)
Widowed2.3%(912)
Divorced10.2%(4,090)
Women 15+
Never married33.8%(14,155)
Married44.5%(18,640)
Widowed8.4%(3,500)
Divorced13.4%(5,616)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Frequently asked

How many people live in El Cajon, California?

El Cajon, California has about 104,449 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in El Cajon, California?

The typical household in El Cajon, California earns about $67,511 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is El Cajon, California expensive?

In El Cajon, California, the median home is worth about $681,700, and the typical rent is about $1,856 a month.

How educated are people in El Cajon, California?

About 23.0% of adults age 25 and over in El Cajon, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in El Cajon, California?

About 20.5% of people in El Cajon, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has El Cajon, California grown since 1990?

Yes, El Cajon, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 15,756 residents, a change of about 18 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →