San Diego County · California · West · 114k residents
Carlsbad, CA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Carlsbad: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Carlsbad is $1,257,000, 78% above the California median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,805/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 177 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $142,748 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Carlsbad is $1,257,000, 77.5% above the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Household income: Median household income is $142,748, 43.8% above the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Adult education: 62.1% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 91.7% above the median for ACS-covered places in California.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 8.8 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A North County coastal city where beaches, flowers, biotech, and family attractions meet.
Known for: Beaches, LEGOLAND, flower fields, lagoons, and coastal trails.
Calendar note: The Carlsbad Flower Fields season and Art in the Village are signature events.
Story source: Visit Carlsbad
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Carlsbad about 4 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 260 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 29 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Carlsbad side by side
Cost of living index
177
ACS median home value
$1,257,000
2-bedroom rent
$2,805/mo
Median household income
$142,748
Housing momentum
How fast Carlsbad's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
20/100
Cooling
Ranks Carlsbad's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Carlsbad's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $1,257,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $470 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $2,275/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,805/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 177 |
| Groceries index | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $4.80/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,450/mo |
| Median household income | $142,748 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% |
| Population | 114k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 29 min |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days |
| July high | 74°F |
| January low | 48°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -7.9% |
| Home price MoM | -1.6% |
| Rent YoY | +2.1% |
| Rent MoM | 0.0% |
| Ocean coast | 4 mi |
| Big lake | 194 mi |
| Mountains | 58 mi |
| Major airport | 31 mi |
| Ski resort | 79 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Oceanside, CA · 172k
- Vista, CA · 99k
- Encinitas, CA · 61k
- San Marcos, CA · 95k
- Escondido, CA · 150k
Similar size
- Richmond, CA · 116k
- Antioch, CA · 116k
- Murrieta, CA · 112k
- East Los Angeles, CA · 112k
- Temecula, CA · 111k
Real listings in Carlsbad
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Carlsbad, CA?
- Carlsbad indexes at 177 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,805/mo and a acs median home value of $1,257,000.
- How much does a house cost in Carlsbad?
- The acs median home value in Carlsbad is $1,257,000, 78% above the California median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Carlsbad?
- A two-bedroom in Carlsbad rents for about $2,805/mo.