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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

San Diego Metro

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · 1 counties · 3,298,634 residents · 4,210 sq mi
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The short version

San Diego is home to 3,298,634 people. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $595,600. Median rent is $1,732 a month. 53% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 23%. 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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
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
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
In this metro

Largest cities

San DiegoCENTRAL1,406,106Chula VistaCENTRAL275,533Oceanside170,483Escondido146,030CarlsbadCENTRAL112,260El Cajon101,755Vista98,274San Marcos94,908EncinitasCENTRAL60,736La Mesa59,914Santee58,205National City57,807Poway49,180La Presa34,962Fallbrook32,112Spring Valley CDP (San Diego County)31,969Lemon Grove27,936Imperial Beach25,206Ramona22,634Lakeside CDP (San Diego County)22,447Winter Gardens22,131Rancho San Diego21,272Coronado21,094Casa de Oro-Mount Helix19,765Bostonia16,765Camp Pendleton South15,766Alpine15,180Bonita12,652Solana Beach12,602Valley Center11,119

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
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
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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%
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SAN DIEGO VS
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Income$103,525+26%
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Population2,857,781−13%
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SAN DIEGO VS
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Income$100,194+22%
Home value$375,718−37%
Population3,790,295+15%
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SAN DIEGO VS
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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.

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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 →

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (2020): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy