San Diego County · California · West · 1.4M residents
San Diego, CA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for San Diego: 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: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in San Diego is $950,000, 34% above the California median. A two-bedroom rents for about $3,150/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 144 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $98,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
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 mild Pacific city where beaches, naval history, and neighborhood food markets meet.
Known for: Beaches, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, craft beer, and coastal outdoor life.
Calendar note: The city calendar includes Comic-Con, cultural festivals, and events across Balboa Park.
Story source: San Diego Tourism Authority
- Scale: A major population center with more than one million residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places San Diego about 10 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 266 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 51 and an average commute of 26 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare San Diego side by side
Cost of living index
144
Median home value
$950,000
2-bedroom rent
$3,150/mo
Median household income
$98,000
Housing momentum
How fast San Diego's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
28/100
Cooling
Ranks San Diego'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 San Diego's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $950,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $700 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $2,450/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,150/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 7.75% |
| Cost of living index | 144 |
| Groceries index | 108 |
| Utilities | $180/mo |
| Transit pass | $72/mo |
| Gas price | $4.55/gal |
| Healthcare index | 104 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,750/mo |
| Median household income | $98,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% |
| Population | 1.4M |
| Crime index | 38/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 |
| Walkability | 51/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 26 min |
| Sunny days / year | 266 days |
| July high | 75°F |
| January low | 50°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -2.3% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +1.3% |
| Rent MoM | +0.2% |
| Ocean coast | 10 mi |
| Big lake | 203 mi |
| Mountains | 80 mi |
| Major airport | < 3 mi |
| Ski resort | 106 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- National City, CA · 59k
- Chula Vista, CA · 276k
- La Mesa, CA · 61k
- Santee, CA · 59k
- El Cajon, CA · 104k
Similar size
- San Jose, CA · 990k
- San Francisco, CA · 830k
- Fresno, CA · 546k
- Sacramento, CA · 529k
- Long Beach, CA · 456k
Real listings in San Diego
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 San Diego, CA?
- San Diego indexes at 144 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $3,150/mo and a median home value of $950,000.
- How much does a house cost in San Diego?
- The median home value in San Diego is $950,000, 34% above the California median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in San Diego?
- A two-bedroom in San Diego rents for about $3,150/mo.