CA 46 I8 FHWA 1971 72, 1971
Alpine’s story
141 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,044 in 1960, 14,696 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1971 and 8 maps from 1893 on.
- 1885Alpine is settled
AlpineCA
A town of 15,180, settled in 1885.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Amin Eshaiker · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
15,180
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$959K
+2.3% in a year
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
2,696
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#345 of 841 in CA
What should you know before moving to Alpine?
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. Overall it grades C, 345th among California's 841 graded towns. It has 14 miles of trail and 40% conserved land. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $959K for a typical one and 9 times the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income. 40% of the land in Alpine is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Cleveland National Forest, 7,205 acres with 7.9 miles of trail.
What makes Alpine stand out
Where Alpine beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Get outside
14 miles of trails in Alpine
40% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
2
Auren Pierce Park0.2 mi of trails · 5 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Alpine grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Alpine is from typical.
Hazard riskwildfire tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingD−Open →Jobs & incomeB+Open →HealthGrossmont Hospital 15.3 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 3.3% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 93° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market7 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.4–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Alpine: who provides what
Alpine is unincorporated, so San Diego County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSDG&E45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPadre Dam Mwd water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Diego CountySan Diego County provides services here
SchoolsGrossmont Union High School DistrictAlpine Union Elementary School District2 districts serve Alpine; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSan Diego Registrar of VotersSan Diego County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code9190191901 99%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alpine.
Alpine keeps more of its land conserved than most of California, owes part of its health edge to its incomes and has added half again as many jobs in ten years.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Alpine faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by wildfire
Since 1982, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alpine.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland flooding
7
paid flood claims since 1982
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB
Alpine’s public schools outperform 63% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Alpine Union Elementary school district. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
63%of CA districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joan MacQueen MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 405 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA−
Nearly a third of Alpine is conserved land
Its 6,837 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 96% of California towns.
At 0.5 miles per square mile, Alpine’s trail density is against 1.0 in California’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
#529for trails in CA
40%
conserved · 6,837 of 17,074 acres
14 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cleveland National Forest | 7.9 mi | 7,205 |
| 2. Auren Pierce Park | 0.2 mi | 5 |
| 3. Alpine Community Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Alpine’s workers commute out
Jobs based here grew from 1,797 in 2013 to 2,696.
Most working residents leave Alpine for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Alpine grew to 2,696 in 2023, 899 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Alpine is 30 minutes.
7%work in town
| Alpine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 16% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Alpine7%
San Diego33%
El Cajon9%
La Mesa4%
Santee4%
21 mi
median commute distance
2,696
jobs based in Alpine
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 51% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Alpine is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns
Against the 7,337 U.S. towns with household incomes like Alpine’s, it is less healthy than 51%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Alpine beats the California average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 27% of Alpine adults have obesity.
72%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Alpine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. California
12 better15 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Alpine | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 6.4% |
Grossmont Hospital
15.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
60th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade D−
Alpine’s grade for cost of living is a D−
Alpine’s median rent is $1,973 a month. The typical Alpine home is worth about $959,000, up 2.3% in a year, 26% above the California typical home.
$959KZillow home value
| Alpine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,973 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Alpine$959K
California$762K
Market temperature
7
days on market
102.7%
sale-to-list price
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Alpine
Alpine has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 40° and snow is almost unheard of.
93°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–66°
Spring46–73°
Summer58–90°
Fall51–81°
Dec 8
typical first frost
Mar 19
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than California overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 20% of residents (24% statewide). 20% of residents are 65 or older in Alpine. 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
42.4median age · CA 37.9
| Alpine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.4 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 16% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
AlpineCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school21%
Some college29%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.3 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Alpine | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.3% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.2% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.1% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.9% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Nearby attractions
All 69 attractions →Mexico–United States border wall and 65 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alpine. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
25 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
24 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
24 mi Park & preserveBalboa Park
28 mi Theme parkSeaWorld San Diego4.0M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mexico–United States border wall: Földhegy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Snapdragon Stadium: Terrible Tim, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Petco Park: Mds08011, CC BY 4.0 · San Diego Zoo: en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Balboa Park: Antoine Taveneaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alpine
18pages on Alpine
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Alpine
Southern California SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · El Cajon9.2 mi$19,080 tuitionCuyamaca CollegeCommunity college · Public · El Cajon12.8 mi$1,346 in-state tuitionSan Diego Christian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Santee12.9 mi$28,012 tuition
About 5 of every 100 Alpine residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Alpine for work
Where Alpine’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,696jobs based in Alpine
7%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Alpine
3 notable people were born in Alpine.
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About Alpine
Census-designated place in California, United States
Alpine is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Cuyamaca Mountains of San Diego County, California, United States. Alpine had a population of 14,696 at the 2020 census, up from 14,236 at the 2010 census. The town is largely surrounded by Cleveland National Forest and borders two reservations of the Kumeyaay, Viejas and Sycuan tribes, and the rural unincorporated areas around the city of El Cajon.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 27 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,834 ft
- ZIP code
- 91901, 91903
- Area code
- 619
Alpine’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Alpine.
Harbison CanyonAlpine
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | #345 | C | D− | — | B | B+ |
| Harbison Canyon | #503 | C− | D | — | C+ | B+ |
Alpine and Harbison Canyon report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Alpine with a neighbor →
Questions about Alpine
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alpine, CA a good place to live?
Alpine grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #345 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Alpine, CA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
What is Alpine, CA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including David Lee and Alex Vesia.