CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

San Diego Metro

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · 1 counties · 3,298,634 residents · 4,210.46 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Compare
The short version

San Diego is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $82,426. Population has grown 17% since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $595,600.

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
Population density
783 / sq mi
+17%since 2000
from 668 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 280
Median age
37.1
+12%since 2000
from 33.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
2.4M2.7M2.9M3.2M3.4M1990201020202024San Diego
20243.3M
1990201020202024
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%
BARS: THIS PLACE · TICKS: 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
Afford Score
7.2
+60%since 2000
from 4.5 in 2000
1990 – 2024
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%
Diversity Score72.7%(2,046,778)
Segregation Score0%
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)
Diversity Score83.8%(2,762,906)
Segregation Score41.2%(1,359,386)
Diversity Score
84
+15%since 2000
from 73 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Segregation Score
41
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%
Management & professional
43.4%
−23.0 ptssince 2009
from 66.4% 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%
−75.6 ptssince 2013
from 83.2% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
In this metro

Principal cities

San DiegoCENTRAL1,406,106Chula VistaCENTRAL275,533CarlsbadCENTRAL112,260EncinitasCENTRAL60,736
What's inside

1 component county

San Diego CountyCENTRAL3,282,248
Drill deeper

Metros similar to San Diego

Denver
Pop 3,092,037
Baltimore
Pop 2,857,781
Minneapolis
Pop 3,790,295
Austin
Pop 2,620,945
Places similar to San Diego
Head to head

Compare San Diego side by side

SAN DIEGO VS
Denver
Income$107,207+30%
Home value$598,608+1%
Population3,092,037−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN DIEGO VS
Baltimore
Income$103,525+26%
Home value$390,167−34%
Population2,857,781−13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN DIEGO VS
Minneapolis
Income$100,194+22%
Home value$375,718−37%
Population3,790,295+15%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN DIEGO VS
Austin
Income$100,512+22%
Home value$473,482−21%
Population2,620,945−20%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

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

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA has about 3,298,634 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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 $82,426 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 $595,600, and the typical rent is about $1,732 a month.

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

About 39.5% 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 10.9% of people in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA live below the federal poverty line.

Has San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA grown since 1990?

Yes, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 800,618 residents, a change of about 32 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Metro rankings
Largest US metrosHighest income metrosFastest growing metros
Compare
Compare San Diego with another metro

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

How we source and harmonize this data →