United States › California › El Cajon CITY · 2020 ACS
El Cajon California · 106,215 residents · 14.5 sq mi
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The short version
El Cajon is home to 106,215 people in California. Owners hold 39% of the housing stock. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $470,800. 29% of residents were born outside the United States. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That trails the California median by roughly 28%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 36.0
US median: 38.8
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 75%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 31.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
87K 92K 97K 103K 108K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 El Cajon Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $56,367
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,566 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $16,698 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 16.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Professional, scientific, technical 6%
Public administration 2.4%
Transportation & warehousing 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.4%
Education & health services 0.3%
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$470,800
+75%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $178,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$1,398
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $671 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 40.5% in 2000
60.7% rent
from 2.88 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 8.5 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 64.5%(61,188)
Hispanic / Latino 22.5%(21,313)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 52.8%(56,116)
Hispanic / Latino 29.4%(31,271)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data Asian origin
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data from 14.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 79.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 4.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 75.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 12.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 63.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 26.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 20.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 40.6%(16,322)
Women 15+
Never married 33.8%(14,155)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 20.4% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 30%(1,771)
Gulf War (1990s) 25.6%(1,508)
Share of the 5,898 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.
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Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in El Cajon, California? El Cajon, California has about 106,215 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in El Cajon, California? The typical household in El Cajon, California earns about $56,367 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 $470,800, and the typical rent is about $1,398 a month.
How educated are people in El Cajon, California? About 22.1% 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 19.4% 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 17,522 residents, a change of about 20 percent over that period.
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