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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

San Diego County

California · 3,298,634 residents · 4,210 sq mi
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San Diego County is a county of 3,298,634 people in California. The typical home is worth $595,600, having roughly tripled since 2000. Renters pay $1,732 a month at the median. Owners hold 53% of the housing stock. 23% of locals were born outside the United States. About 39% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 37.1
US median: 38.8
More educated
39% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 87%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
3,298,634
+17%since 2000
from 2,813,833 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.1
+12%since 2000
from 33.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
4,210 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2.4M2.7M2.9M3.2M3.4M19902000201020202024San Diego County
20243.3M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.3%(174,765)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.8%(190,866)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.2%(202,893)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.5%(213,907)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248%(263,921)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.2%(502,483)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4413.5%(444,073)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.2%(403,290)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412.2%(402,562)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749%(295,592)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.3%(142,105)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.9%(62,177)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$82,426
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,067 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,737
+73%since 2000
from $22,926 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
54.1%
+12.1 ptssince 2009
from 42.0% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
10.9%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 12.4% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information10.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade9.5%
US avg: 10%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Wholesale trade6.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Public administration3.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$595,600
+87%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $212,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,732
+51%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $761 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
53.5%
−2.0 ptssince 2000
from 55.4% in 2000
46.5% rent
Persons per household
2.86 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.76 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
7.2
−12%since 2009
from 8.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
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-Hispanic55%(1,548,833)
Black5.5%(154,487)
Hispanic / Latino26.7%(750,965)
Asian8.7%(245,297)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic43.1%(1,422,205)
Black4.4%(145,014)
Hispanic / Latino33.9%(1,119,629)
Asian12.1%(400,589)
Other4.9%(162,182)
Segregation Score
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican29.7%(988,825)
South American0.8%(27,312)
Puerto Rican0.8%(25,121)
Spaniard0.4%(14,304)
Guatemalan0.4%(13,572)
Salvadoran0.3%(9,361)
Colombian0.2%(7,715)
Cuban0.2%(7,109)
Peruvian0.2%(6,034)
Chilean0.1%(3,624)
Argentine0.1%(3,433)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(3,104)
Honduran0.1%(3,079)
Ecuadorian0.1%(3,063)
Nicaraguan0.1%(2,792)
Dominican0.1%(2,730)
Venezuelan0.1%(1,758)
Costa Rican0%(1,560)
Uruguayan0%(662)
Bolivian0%(659)
Paraguayan0%(105)
Asian origin
Filipino4.7%(155,522)
Chinese1.9%(62,883)
Vietnamese1.5%(49,751)
Asian Indian1.3%(43,776)
Korean0.7%(22,728)
Japanese0.5%(17,828)
Laotian0.2%(7,462)
Cambodian0.2%(5,781)
Taiwanese0.1%(4,643)
Thai0.1%(2,865)
Pakistani0.1%(2,059)
Indonesian0%(1,397)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(1,364)
Hmong0%(1,106)
Nepalese0%(324)
Sri Lankan0%(257)
Malaysian0%(151)
Okinawan0%(85)
Mongolian0%(38)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.4%(11,816)
Chamorro0.3%(8,812)
Samoan0.2%(6,830)
Fijian0%(720)
Tongan0%(589)
Ancestry
German9%(298,372)
Irish7.4%(247,004)
English6.5%(216,008)
Italian4.2%(138,497)
American2.7%(90,849)
French1.9%(62,260)
Polish1.7%(56,967)
Scottish1.5%(48,786)
Swedish1.2%(39,915)
Norwegian1.2%(39,894)
Russian0.9%(30,593)
Dutch0.9%(29,478)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Subsaharan African0.8%(27,633)
British0.7%(23,249)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(20,681)
Portuguese0.6%(19,603)
Welsh0.5%(16,964)
Iranian0.5%(16,745)
Danish0.4%(14,486)
Greek0.4%(13,064)
Hungarian0.4%(12,878)
Iraqi0.4%(12,198)
French Canadian0.3%(11,157)
Ukrainian0.3%(9,237)
Swiss0.3%(8,312)
Canadian0.2%(8,132)
Czech0.2%(8,129)
Austrian0.2%(6,562)
West Indian0.2%(6,413)
Brazilian0.2%(5,854)
Finnish0.2%(5,849)
Lebanese0.2%(5,683)
Arab0.2%(5,220)
Lithuanian0.2%(5,137)
Armenian0.1%(4,802)
Romanian0.1%(3,804)
Croatian0.1%(3,695)
Ethiopian0.1%(3,644)
Somali0.1%(3,631)
Slovak0.1%(3,503)
Syrian0.1%(3,122)
Turkish0.1%(3,117)
Belgian0.1%(2,924)
Serbian0.1%(2,856)
Jamaican0.1%(2,831)
Egyptian0.1%(2,471)
Israeli0.1%(2,441)
Palestinian0.1%(2,158)
Nigerian0.1%(2,025)
Bulgarian0.1%(1,822)
Australian0%(1,416)
Haitian0%(1,406)
Slovene0%(1,087)
Moroccan0%(950)
Jordanian0%(805)
Latvian0%(768)
Kenyan0%(424)
Ghanaian0%(378)
Macedonian0%(328)
Guyanese0%(225)
Barbadian0%(195)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.5%
+9.9 ptssince 2000
from 29.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
88.0%
+5.5 ptssince 2000
from 82.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
15.3%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 10.9% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.5 min
+58%since 2000
from 16.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
73.9%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 75.4% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.4%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.2%
−2.8 ptssince 2011
from 8.9% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
66.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2011
from 65.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.4%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
43.4%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 39.5% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Female
49.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Foreign born
22.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 22.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.6%
−9.2 ptssince 2013
from 16.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
95.9%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
85.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married40.6%(555,874)
Married50.1%(685,901)
Widowed1.8%(25,326)
Divorced7.5%(102,565)
Women 15+
Never married32.8%(441,929)
Married48.8%(658,612)
Widowed6.9%(92,830)
Divorced11.5%(155,621)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.6%
−9.2 ptssince 2013
from 16.8% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
54.0%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.9%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
20.2%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.6%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
69.1%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
33.6%
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)33.2%(69,890)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)27.3%(57,602)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era29.2%(61,423)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War6.1%(12,929)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.7%(5,643)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 210,611 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to San Diego County

Orange County
Pop 3,149,507
Riverside County
Pop 2,544,916
Maricopa County
Pop 4,689,558
King County
Pop 2,344,939
Places similar to San Diego County
Head to head

Compare San Diego County to nearby counties

SAN DIEGO COUNTY VS
Riverside County
Income$93,074+13%
Home value$557,300−6%
Population2,544,916−22%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VS
Orange County
Income$116,289+41%
Home value$962,600+62%
Population3,149,507−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VS
Imperial County
Income$57,681−30%
Home value$309,600−48%
Population181,411−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VS
Los Angeles County
Income$90,112+9%
Home value$834,200+40%
Population9,694,934+195%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in San Diego County, California?

San Diego County, California has about 3,298,634 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in San Diego County, California earns about $82,426 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is San Diego County, California expensive?

In San Diego County, California, the median home is worth about $595,600, and the typical rent is about $1,732 a month.

How educated are people in San Diego County, California?

About 39.5% of adults age 25 and over in San Diego County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in San Diego County, California?

About 10.9% of people in San Diego County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has San Diego County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, San Diego County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 800,618 residents, a change of about 32 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 →