San Diego, California
Among the top 4% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 57% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 95% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 34% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 3% for airport distance
- bottom 2% for cost of living
San Diego is a major city in California with about 1,384,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, airport distance, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on income tax and cost of living.
Official websitesandiego.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Mild winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
comfortable
78%54%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.3 in0.1 in
humid 95%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$99k84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$78kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$783k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 5% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 6% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.68%better than 74% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden21.64%better than 3% of US places
Unemployment6.1%better than 31% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)57°F96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)72°F22nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation11.7 in4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days228 daysbetter than 43% of US places
Summer Humidity61°Fbetter than 70% of US places
Comfortable Days312 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk23.5better than 94% of US places
Air Quality51 AQIbetter than 20% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime986/100kbetter than 36% of US places
Property Crime1827/100kbetter than 23% of US places
Community
Population1,383,987100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age35.826th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6596th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0464th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+2312th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)41.5%14th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)5.6%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)30.1%90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)17.1%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.8%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 62% of US places
Walkability10.3/20better than 87% of US places
Airport Distance9 mibetter than 97% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.2%better than 80% of US places
Amenities Nearby4.02better than 12% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 36% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is San Diego an affordable place to live?
- San Diego is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $78k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in San Diego?
- The median home value in San Diego is $783k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in San Diego?
- Median household income in San Diego is $99k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in San Diego?
- Median gross rent in San Diego is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is San Diego safe?
- San Diego is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 986/100k (better than 36%). Property crime is 1827/100k.
- What is the weather like in San Diego?
- San Diego averages 72°F in July and 57°F in January, with 11.7 in of annual precipitation and about 228 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in San Diego?
- Public-school quality in San Diego is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in San Diego?
- The average one-way commute in San Diego is 24 min.
Other places in San Diego County
Places near San Diego
Compare San Diego
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)