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Living in San Diego

San Diego had 1,389,526 residents in July 2026 and is a city in the United States. In July 2026, median household income was US$108,077 a year. There were 14,945 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026.

More recorded crime than 65% of American cities that publish it and dirtier air than 78% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to San Diego?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in San Diego.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$2,313 per month, while the median home value was US$906,700 in July 2026. Owner occupation was 47.3%, and the vacancy rate was 6.73% in July 2026. 54.7% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
San Diego recurring monthly costs, € per month€1697Private kindergarten€216Utilities, 85 m² flat€72Internet, 60 Mbps€63Transport pass€61Mobile plan, 10 GB€55Fitness club€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly54.85 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Diego (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223222)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited72.27 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Diego (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223222)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,697 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Diego (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223222)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB60.57 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Diego (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223222)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass63.29 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/us/san-diego/23Community estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home216.2 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Diego (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223222)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$2,313/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent54.68 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct6.73 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents1,883 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
Median monthly rent2,033 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count21,691 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

24.8% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 349,362 people of 1,406,106 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in San Diego is 6.0%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10San Diego 6.0%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd108,077 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct84.13 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct95.21 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct1.39 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct3.34 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct5.08 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary4,070 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)20Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)4,149 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov19Official
Salary Net Avg Eur Month4,384 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/us/san-diego/23Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate5.96 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to San Diego. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in San Diego. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct90.19 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools386 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct25.62 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio583 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents14,945 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate2,105 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in San Diego when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesSan Diego highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with San Diego highlighted5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,709Austin3,195San Jose3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents2,082 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting11Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents361.7 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
Safety City Violent Crime Count5,247 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute23.48 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.67 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct2.67 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct3.45 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Destinations from nearest airport55 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights16Official
Nearest airportSAN3 Aug 2026OurAirports17Official
Distance to nearest airport3 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports17Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for San Diego. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in San Diego.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
San Diego average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND28°7°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
San Diego average monthly precipitation, mm0204060805967412072204142341JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
San Diego annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5258.1PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in San Diego is 8.1 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–9San Diego 8.158 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean8.09 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 20248Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 19.61 · Feb 19.61 · Mar 20.28 · Apr 21.5 · May 22.28 · Jun 23.72 · Jul 26.56 · Aug 27.78 · Sep 27.44 · Oct 25.44 · Nov 22.61 · Dec 19.61 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202015Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 7.78 · Feb 8.28 · Mar 9.78 · Apr 11.33 · May 13.67 · Jun 15.56 · Jul 17.78 · Aug 18.5 · Sep 17.56 · Oct 14.33 · Nov 10.06 · Dec 7.39 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202015Official
Average temperature by monthJan 13.67 · Feb 13.94 · Mar 15.06 · Apr 16.39 · May 18 · Jun 19.61 · Jul 22.17 · Aug 23.17 · Sep 22.5 · Oct 19.89 · Nov 16.33 · Dec 13.5 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202015Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 58.93 · Feb 67.31 · Mar 41.4 · Apr 19.56 · May 7.11 · Jun 1.52 · Jul 1.78 · Aug 0.25 · Sep 4.32 · Oct 13.72 · Nov 23.11 · Dec 40.89 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202015Official
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M340.7 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M38.46 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count25 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm418.1 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul22.45 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature17.1 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan12.14 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
The Bronx1,384,724 residentsDallas1,329,491 residentsSan Antonio1,548,422 residentsPhiladelphia1,574,281 residentsManhattan1,660,664 residentsPhoenix1,665,481 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
San Diego residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport75.2%Foreign residents24.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share10.36 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents349,362 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G09 Ntd Service Area Population5,778,899 people4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Population density1,665 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population1,406,106 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program18Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population1,409,432 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Is San Diego a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–66%
Skilled employee67%strong on work, weak on safety · range 57–77%
Student53%strong on education, weak on work · range 42–64%
Family42%strong on family, weak on cost · range 32–52%
Retirement45%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 34–56%
Foreign residents349,362 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population1,406,106 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent54.68 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent2,033 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents1,883 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary4,070 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd906,700 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes47.34 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour68.12 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad25.14 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct14.78 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct10.36 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct65.54 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct76.9 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct5.83 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct50.99 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct93.4 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count2 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Unlinked Passenger Trips 202258,876,021 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Vehicles Operated Max Service 20221,119 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus730,907 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct21.22 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct91.36 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around San Diego?

The median gross salary is 4,149 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in San Diego?

The unemployment rate is 5.96 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in San Diego?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 8.09 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is San Diego?

Police recorded 2,082 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in San Diego?

The published population is 1,406,106 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in San Diego?

349,362 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is San Diego a good place to live?

San Diego may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). San Diego, United States: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/san-diego/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_san-diego-united-states-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_8fabb1c4c18b,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {San Diego, United States: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  snapshot = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/san-diego/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[San Diego, United States: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/san-diego/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  9. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  10. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
Show 13 more sources
  1. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  2. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  6. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  7. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  10. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  11. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  12. Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Diego (Wayback Machine capture 20260706223222) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
  13. Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/us/san-diego/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.