San Diego County · California · West · 1.4M residents
San Diego, CA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on San Diego: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, 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.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,645/wk. California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%. Commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh.
Compare San Diego side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,645/wk
Corporate income tax
8.84%
Bachelor's degree or higher
51%
Commercial electricity
25.5¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast San Diego's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
48/100
Steady
Ranks San Diego's residential building-permit and jobs 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. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| 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% |
| Corporate income tax | 8.84% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,645/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51% |
| Commercial electricity | 25.5¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 42.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $163,270 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $139,520 |
| Wage: General manager | $119,600 |
| Wage: Customer service | $48,730 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $39,160 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,780 |
| Wage: Electrician | $76,160 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $37,810 |
| 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% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | 0.0% |
| Building permits YoY | +3.2% |
| 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
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is San Diego a good place to run a business?
- California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,645/wk; commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- 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 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in San Diego?
- A two-bedroom in San Diego rents for about $3,150/mo.