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CITY · 2020 ACS

El Cajon

California · 106,215 residents · 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 $56,367. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $470,800. Households here earn about 28% less than the California median. Despite a median home value of $470,800, the poverty rate sits 51% above the US average — a pattern often seen in resort and college towns.

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

Total population
106,215
+12%since 2000
from 94,869 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
36.0
+13%since 2000
from 31.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
87K92K97K103K108K1990201020202024El Cajon
2024104K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.6%(6,992)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97%(7,397)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.1%(7,559)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.3%(6,735)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.7%(7,069)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.9%(15,837)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.2%(14,070)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.6%(12,326)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.5%(13,236)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.4%(8,954)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844%(4,300)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.6%(1,740)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$56,367
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,566 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$25,940
+55%since 2000
from $16,698 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
37.8%
+9.2 ptssince 2009
from 28.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
19.4%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 16.7% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information14.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade7.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade7.3%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance6.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services5.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration2.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$470,800
+75%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $178,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,398
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $671 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
39.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2000
from 40.5% in 2000
60.7% rent
Afford Score
8.4
−2%since 2009
from 8.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic52.8%(56,116)
Black6.3%(6,664)
Hispanic / Latino29.4%(31,271)
Asian4.7%(5,006)
Other5%(5,362)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican24.1%(24,842)
Puerto Rican0.5%(555)
Colombian0.3%(263)
Salvadoran0.3%(262)
Costa Rican0.2%(194)
Peruvian0.2%(176)
Spaniard0.2%(159)
Guatemalan0.1%(118)
Panamanian0.1%(92)
Cuban0%(34)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino1.8%(1,874)
Chinese0.7%(764)
Vietnamese0.4%(405)
Korean0.2%(236)
Asian Indian0.2%(179)
Japanese0.1%(95)
Laotian0.1%(74)
Cambodian0.1%(69)
Taiwanese0.1%(58)
Malaysian0.1%(58)
Hmong0%(49)
Thai0%(30)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.2%(186)
Samoan0.1%(74)
Ancestry
German7.7%(7,914)
Iraqi7.1%(7,344)
Irish6.8%(7,046)
English5.7%(5,929)
Italian3.4%(3,487)
American3.2%(3,277)
Arab1.6%(1,603)
French1.3%(1,308)
Syrian1.3%(1,307)
Polish1.2%(1,238)
Norwegian1.2%(1,196)
Swedish1.1%(1,135)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish0.9%(932)
Dutch0.7%(735)
Portuguese0.6%(595)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(580)
Russian0.5%(474)
Welsh0.4%(423)
British0.4%(412)
Israeli0.4%(389)
Palestinian0.3%(278)
Ukrainian0.2%(222)
West Indian0.2%(216)
Jordanian0.2%(213)
Canadian0.2%(196)
Hungarian0.2%(190)
Swiss0.2%(185)
Danish0.2%(165)
Brazilian0.2%(158)
Turkish0.1%(151)
Bulgarian0.1%(146)
Romanian0.1%(133)
Iranian0.1%(131)
Greek0.1%(128)
Egyptian0.1%(127)
Lithuanian0.1%(117)
Finnish0.1%(113)
Armenian0.1%(110)
Lebanese0.1%(99)
Kenyan0.1%(96)
Austrian0.1%(69)
Czech0.1%(64)
Ethiopian0.1%(52)
Belgian0%(49)
Jamaican0%(46)
Croatian0%(38)
Haitian0%(29)
Slovak0%(19)
Serbian0%(15)
Slovene0%(5)
Latvian0%(4)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest Iraqi population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.1%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 14.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
85.1%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 79.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
6.7%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 4.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.5 min
+50%since 2000
from 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
76.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 75.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
8.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.7%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 12.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
62.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2011
from 63.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
29.9%
−29.6 ptssince 2009
from 59.5% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
50.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
28.8%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.9%
−71.7 ptssince 2013
from 79.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Marital status (2024)
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 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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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →