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CITY · INCORPORATED 1850 · 2000 CENSUS

San Diego

California · 1,223,400 residents · 326 sq mi
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The short version

With 1,223,400 people, San Diego is a city in California. Median home value sits at $220,000. 50% of homes are owner-occupied. 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Renters pay $763 a month at the median. Headcount has barely moved since 1990.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 32.5
US median: 35.2
More educated
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 11%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,223,400
+10%since 1990
from 1,110,549 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
32.5
+6%since 1990
from 30.7 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
326 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.1M1.2M1.3M1.3M1.4M19902000201020202024San Diego
20241.4M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56.7%(82,523)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 97.1%(87,347)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.5%(79,520)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197%(85,664)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 249%(110,614)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3417.7%(217,032)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.2%(198,474)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.1%(148,127)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647%(86,091)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.4%(65,922)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.9%(47,639)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.2%(14,447)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$45,733
+3%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $33,686 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$23,609
+44%since 1990
from $16,401 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
14.6%
+1.2 ptssince 1990
from 13.4% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$220,000
−11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $188,300 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$763
−4%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $602 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
49.5%
+1.2 ptssince 1990
from 48.3% in 1990
50.5% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic67.2%(746,381)
Black9.3%(103,668)
Hispanic / Latino20.1%(223,616)
Asian11.8%(131,444)
2000
White, non-Hispanic49.4%(603,892)
Black7.6%(92,830)
Hispanic / Latino25.4%(310,752)
Asian13.5%(164,895)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican25%(347,362)
South American1.2%(17,009)
Puerto Rican0.8%(10,944)
Colombian0.5%(6,548)
Guatemalan0.4%(5,855)
Spaniard0.4%(5,849)
Salvadoran0.3%(4,264)
Cuban0.3%(3,666)
Peruvian0.2%(2,783)
Chilean0.2%(2,205)
Argentine0.2%(2,111)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(1,688)
Ecuadorian0.1%(1,334)
Nicaraguan0.1%(1,303)
Venezuelan0.1%(1,275)
Honduran0.1%(1,148)
Costa Rican0.1%(849)
Panamanian0.1%(771)
Bolivian0%(396)
Uruguayan0%(240)
Asian origin
Filipino5.2%(72,130)
Chinese3.3%(45,656)
Vietnamese2.4%(33,632)
Asian Indian2.4%(32,726)
Korean1.1%(14,832)
Japanese0.6%(8,975)
Cambodian0.4%(4,915)
Laotian0.3%(4,649)
Taiwanese0.3%(4,612)
Thai0.2%(2,303)
Pakistani0.1%(1,554)
Kazakh0.1%(1,476)
+ 13 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0.1%(1,006)
Hmong0.1%(1,002)
Indonesian0%(540)
Nepalese0%(439)
Sri Lankan0%(327)
Malaysian0%(265)
Uzbek0%(200)
Mongolian0%(193)
Mien0%(92)
Bhutanese0%(41)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(3,821)
Chamorro0.2%(3,433)
Samoan0.2%(2,308)
Guamanian0.1%(852)
Fijian0%(586)
Tongan0%(500)
Ancestry
German8.8%(122,485)
Irish7.6%(105,833)
English7.5%(103,693)
Italian4.3%(59,605)
American2.3%(31,727)
Polish1.8%(25,373)
French1.8%(24,375)
Scottish1.5%(20,611)
Subsaharan African1.2%(16,197)
Russian1%(14,391)
Swedish1%(14,354)
Norwegian1%(14,105)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Arab1%(13,809)
Dutch0.8%(10,726)
Iranian0.7%(10,188)
Portuguese0.7%(9,255)
British0.5%(7,410)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(7,158)
Ukrainian0.5%(6,632)
Welsh0.4%(6,197)
Greek0.4%(5,836)
West Indian0.4%(5,725)
Hungarian0.4%(5,489)
Danish0.4%(5,039)
French Canadian0.3%(4,155)
Brazilian0.3%(4,006)
Swiss0.3%(3,707)
Czech0.3%(3,594)
Lebanese0.3%(3,499)
Canadian0.2%(3,274)
Ethiopian0.2%(2,825)
Austrian0.2%(2,725)
Armenian0.2%(2,721)
Lithuanian0.2%(2,691)
Somali0.2%(2,585)
Jamaican0.2%(2,413)
Egyptian0.1%(2,039)
Finnish0.1%(1,962)
Romanian0.1%(1,950)
Haitian0.1%(1,864)
Israeli0.1%(1,780)
Turkish0.1%(1,739)
Iraqi0.1%(1,733)
Croatian0.1%(1,604)
Slovak0.1%(1,443)
Nigerian0.1%(1,443)
Syrian0.1%(1,418)
Serbian0.1%(1,399)
Palestinian0.1%(1,238)
Belgian0.1%(918)
Bulgarian0.1%(918)
Kenyan0%(688)
Australian0%(582)
Slovene0%(520)
Moroccan0%(502)
Latvian0%(332)
Jordanian0%(296)
Guyanese0%(278)
Macedonian0%(270)
Ghanaian0%(255)
Barbadian0%(178)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
35.0%
+5.2 ptssince 1990
from 29.8% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
82.8%
+0.5 ptssince 1990
from 82.3% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
13.4%
+2.7 ptssince 1990
from 10.6% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
14.4 min
−33%since 1990
from 21.5 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.1%(195,600)
Married49.6%(242,053)
Widowed1.9%(9,310)
Divorced8.4%(40,938)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(145,197)
Married50.2%(244,361)
Widowed8%(38,721)
Divorced12%(58,276)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
5.8%
−10.8 ptssince 2013
from 16.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 55.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 13.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 14.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.3%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.4%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.9%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 70.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 31.4% 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)40.4%(28,419)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)29.4%(20,657)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.6%(19,430)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.4%(2,360)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(608)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 70,280 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
Explore

Neighborhoods in San Diego

Allied GardensBalboa ParkBarrio LoganBay HoBay ParkBay TerracesBlack Mountain RanchCarmel MountainCarmel ValleyCastleClairemont Mesa EastClairemont Mesa WestColina del SolCollege EastCollege WestCore-ColumbiaCorridorDel CerroEastEgger HighlandsEncantoGolden HillHillcrestJomacha-LomitaKensingtonLa JollaLake MurrayLincoln ParkLinda VistaLogan HeightsMarinaMidtownMidway DistrictMira MesaMiramar Ranch NorthMission Bay ParkMission HillsMission Valley EastMorenaMountain ViewNestorNormal HeightsNorth CityNorth ClairemontNorth ParkOak ParkOcean BeachOcean CrestOtay MesaOtay Mesa WestPacific BeachParadise HillsPark WestPoint Loma HeightsRancho BernardoRancho PenasquitosRoseville - Fleet RidgeSabre SpringsSan YsidroScripps RanchSerra MesaSorrento ValleySouthcrestTalmadgeTierrasantaTorrey PinesUniversity CityUniversity HeightsValencia ParkNeighborhoods in San Diego
Drill deeper

Places similar to San Diego

Austin
Pop 1,002,632
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Head to head

Compare San Diego to nearby cities

SAN DIEGO VS
La Mesa
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Home value$812,000+269%
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SAN DIEGO VS
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SAN DIEGO VS
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Home value$727,200+231%
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SAN DIEGO VS
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Income$67,511+48%
Home value$681,700+210%
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in San Diego, California?

San Diego, California has about 1,223,400 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in San Diego, California?

The typical household in San Diego, California earns about $45,733 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is San Diego, California expensive?

In San Diego, California, the median home is worth about $220,000, and the typical rent is about $763 a month.

How educated are people in San Diego, California?

About 35.0% of adults age 25 and over in San Diego, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in San Diego, California?

About 14.6% of people in San Diego, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has San Diego, California grown since 1990?

Yes, San Diego, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 112,851 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.

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

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