Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 41/100
D−
Median home value$906,700
San Diego $854,700
Median rent$2,313/mo
San Diego $2,246/mo
Cost-burdened households43%
San Diego 44%
San Diego
San Diego County1,389,526 residents3 school districts
63
C+
Suburbgrade score
4th of 30 San Diego suburbs. Strong on amenities and commute & transport, held back by housing & affordability.
63
San Diego median 52
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for San Diego yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 63 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What San Diego is like to live in, by category
Bars show San Diego against San Diego. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 61/100
C
Within-state proficiency74th pct
San Diego median 60th pct
Student–teacher ratio21.8
San Diego median 22.6
Graduation rate89%
San Diego median 86%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 74/100
B
Housing cost index103
San Diego 100
Eff. tax rate0.66%
San Diego 0.67%
Local sales tax7.75%
San Diego median 7.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 74/100
B
Mean commute23.5 min
San Diego 25.5 min
Under 30 minutes71%
San Diego 64%
Transit stops / sq mi7.5
San Diego median 4.2 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 82/100
B+
Restaurants & cafés160
San Diego median 50 · within 2 miles
Groceries8
San Diego median 6 · within 2 miles
Parks58
San Diego median 23 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 53/100
C−
Median household income$108,077
San Diego $106,268
Unemployment6.0%
San Diego 6.1%
Professional occupations54%
San Diego 48%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for San Diego yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than San Diego on housing & affordability
San Diego's weakest grade is D−. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Solana Beach14 mi from San DiegoB− 70 B− Encinitas17 mi from San DiegoB− 72 B− Coronado12 mi from San DiegoC+ 63 C+ Carlsbad23 mi from San DiegoC 65 C+ San Diego Country Estates23 mi from San DiegoC− 45 D Poway12 mi from San DiegoC− 59 C Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in San Diego
Is San Diego, CA a good place to live?
San Diego scores 63 out of 100, 4th of 30 San Diego suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is San Diego expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B. The median home is $906,700, 6% above the San Diego median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.66%. $2,313/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in San Diego?
Schools grade C. The districts serving San Diego sit at the 74th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 89% graduation rate and a 21.8 student–teacher ratio. San Diego is served by San Diego Unified, Poway Unified School District and Sweetwater Union High School District. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from San Diego?
The mean commute is 23.5 min, with 71% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 21% working from home. Transit density is 7.5 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in San Diego?
Within two miles there are 8 groceries, 160 restaurants and cafés and 58 parks, which grades B+ on amenities.
Are the homes in San Diego old or new?
The median home in San Diego was built in 1979 — close to the San Diego median of 1980. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 53% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.