METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

San Diego Metro

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · 1 counties · 2,498,016 residents · 4,210.46 sq mi

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The short version

San Diego is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $35,022. Population has declined 11% since 2000. Median home value is $186,200.

At a glance

Wealthier

above the US median

US median: $30,130

Younger

median age 31.0

US median: 33.0

More educated

25% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

2,498,016

−11%vs 2000

vs 2,813,833 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Population density

593 / sq mi

−11%vs 2000

vs 668 / sq mi in 2000

Median age

31.0

−7%vs 2000

vs 33.2 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Population, 1990 – 2024

20243.3M

Age distribution, 1990

Under 57.7%(193,368)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97%(174,804)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.1%(153,595)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.8%(170,815)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 249.9%(247,352)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3420.2%(504,627)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4415.2%(380,532)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 548.9%(222,551)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 647.1%(178,024)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 746.6%(163,739)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 843.4%(83,903)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1%(24,706)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$35,022

−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $47,067 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$16,220

−29%vs 2000

vs $22,926 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

11.3%

−1.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 12.4% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$186,200

+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $212,000 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$611

+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $761 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

53.8%

−1.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 55.4% in 2000

46.2% rent

RELATED:See current rent listings in San Diego on RentDataNow

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%

1990

White, non-Hispanic75.1%(1,875,517)

Black6.3%(157,495)

Hispanic / Latino20%(498,578)

Asian8%(198,675)

Other10.7%(266,329)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Mexican29.7%(975,588)

Central American1.2%(39,448)

South American1%(33,735)

Puerto Rican0.8%(26,187)

Guatemalan0.6%(18,300)

Spaniard0.4%(14,413)

Colombian0.3%(11,484)

Salvadoran0.3%(10,718)

Cuban0.2%(7,915)

Peruvian0.2%(6,927)

Dominican0.1%(4,125)

Argentine0.1%(3,875)

+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data

Chilean0.1%(3,708)

Ecuadorian0.1%(3,212)

Nicaraguan0.1%(2,866)

Honduran0.1%(2,686)

Venezuelan0.1%(2,560)

Panamanian0.1%(2,477)

Costa Rican0.1%(1,978)

Bolivian0%(1,007)

Uruguayan0%(514)

Paraguayan0%(145)

Asian origin

Filipino4.6%(150,280)

Chinese2%(64,366)

Asian Indian1.5%(47,693)

Vietnamese1.4%(47,640)

Korean0.7%(21,721)

Japanese0.5%(17,115)

Cambodian0.2%(6,900)

Laotian0.2%(6,796)

Taiwanese0.2%(6,175)

Kazakh0.1%(4,171)

Thai0.1%(3,594)

Pakistani0.1%(2,351)

+ 13 more asian origin groups with data

Hmong0.1%(1,764)

Indonesian0.1%(1,652)

Burmese0%(1,370)

Nepalese0%(722)

Bangladeshi0%(677)

Sri Lankan0%(424)

Malaysian0%(404)

Mongolian0%(323)

Uzbek0%(265)

Mien0%(164)

Okinawan0%(66)

Bhutanese0%(41)

Singaporean0%(30)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.3%(9,903)

Chamorro0.2%(7,855)

Samoan0.2%(6,833)

Guamanian0%(1,559)

Tongan0%(1,101)

Fijian0%(770)

Marshallese0%(629)

Chuukese0%(152)

Ancestry

German9.1%(298,305)

English8%(262,576)

Irish7.8%(255,722)

Italian4.2%(137,798)

American2.5%(81,666)

French1.8%(58,643)

Polish1.6%(53,920)

Scottish1.6%(51,677)

Arab1.4%(44,429)

Norwegian1.1%(37,669)

Swedish1.1%(36,039)

Subsaharan African0.9%(30,641)

+ 51 more ancestry groups with data

Russian0.9%(28,604)

Dutch0.8%(27,141)

Scotch-Irish0.6%(18,987)

Portuguese0.6%(18,138)

Iranian0.5%(17,138)

Iraqi0.5%(16,369)

British0.5%(15,597)

Welsh0.4%(14,465)

Danish0.4%(13,543)

Greek0.4%(13,020)

Hungarian0.4%(11,971)

West Indian0.4%(11,825)

Ukrainian0.4%(11,730)

French Canadian0.3%(9,478)

Swiss0.2%(8,184)

Czech0.2%(8,134)

Canadian0.2%(6,928)

Lebanese0.2%(6,920)

Brazilian0.2%(6,661)

Lithuanian0.2%(5,691)

Austrian0.2%(5,673)

Armenian0.2%(5,546)

Jamaican0.2%(5,354)

Finnish0.1%(4,364)

Ethiopian0.1%(4,128)

Croatian0.1%(4,126)

Romanian0.1%(4,002)

Syrian0.1%(3,877)

Egyptian0.1%(3,605)

Somali0.1%(3,222)

Serbian0.1%(3,197)

Nigerian0.1%(2,974)

Haitian0.1%(2,945)

Belgian0.1%(2,907)

Turkish0.1%(2,798)

Israeli0.1%(2,745)

Slovak0.1%(2,717)

Palestinian0.1%(2,128)

Bulgarian0.1%(1,779)

Australian0.1%(1,711)

Moroccan0%(1,108)

Slovene0%(1,082)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(1,065)

Kenyan0%(1,003)

Guyanese0%(936)

Latvian0%(687)

Ghanaian0%(660)

Jordanian0%(550)

Macedonian0%(456)

Barbadian0%(267)

Cape Verdean0%(130)

RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Filipino population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

25.3%

−4.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 29.5% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

81.9%

−0.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 82.6% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

8.8%

−2.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 10.9% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

23.5 min

+40%vs 2000

vs 16.7 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

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

In this metro

Largest cities

The 30 most populous of 57 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

San Diego CountyCENTRAL3,282,248

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Frequently asked

How many people live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA has about 2,498,016 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The typical household in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA earns about $35,022 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA expensive?

In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, the median home is worth about $186,200, and the typical rent is about $611 a month.

How educated are people in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

About 25.3% of adults age 25 and over in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

About 11.3% of people in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →