San Diego, California
Among the top 4% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% 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 1% for monthly owner costs
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 cost of living and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in San Diego is $783k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in San Diego is $99k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in San Diego is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- San Diego has a violent crime rate of 986/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in San Diego is 24 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
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$245kbetter than 0% 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 100% 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
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)
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. Median rent is $2k.
- 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.