Bonita-south, 2005
Bonita’s story
128 years in pictures
Census counts: 6,257 in 1980, 12,917 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 7 maps from 1904 on.
- 1898Bonita is settled
BonitaCA
A town settled in 1898, now home to 12,652 people.
Population
12,652
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.13M
+4.3% in a year
Household income
$119K
median
Median age
44.1
years
Jobs based here
2,167
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#176 of 841 in CA
What should you know before moving to Bonita?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Health is its strong suit — CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 85% of the country. It also does well on incomes (A−): the median household earns $119K. Its weakest is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.1 million, 10.6 years of the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too (D): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than four fifths of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. The overall grade lands at B−, better than 54% of U.S. towns. That places it 176th of 841 in California. Sweetwater County Park, at 124 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Bonita for work
Where Bonita’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,167jobs based in Bonita
2%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Bonita grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Bonita is from typical.
Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnD−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthSharp Chula Vista Medical Center 3.9 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA−Open →SchoolsAbove the middle of the towns comparedB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 3.7% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 69 attractions →Mexico–United States border wall and 62 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bonita. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
9 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
10 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
9 mi Park & preserveBalboa Park3 mi Park & preserveCerutti Mastodon siteSources: 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
Getting set up
Moving to Bonita: who provides what
Bonita is unincorporated, so San Diego County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSDG&E45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSweetwater AuthorityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Diego CountySan Diego County provides services here
SchoolsSweetwater Union High School DistrictChula Vista Elementary School District2 districts serve Bonita; 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 codes91902, 9191091902 89% · 91910 11%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 Bonita.
Bonita has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and owes part of its health edge to its incomes, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
OutdoorsA+
Conserved land covers 13.8% of Bonita
In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 7.2 miles of trail.
#258for trails in CA
13.8%
conserved · 454 of 3,288 acres
7.2 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sweetwater Regional Park | 2.5 mi | 92 |
| 2. Sweetwater County Park | 1.4 mi | 124 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB+
Bonita’s public schools outperform 69% of California districts
The largest public high school is Altus Schools South Bay, with 372 students. The Chula Vista Elementary school district runs its public schools. Two of its 5 schools are shown below, with the reason for each.
69%of CA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Vista ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 513 | – |
| Altus Schools South BayLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 372 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade D−
For cost of living, Bonita earns a D−
At 10.6 years of the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income, the typical home (about $1.13M) costs more against local pay than in 80% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; San Diego is next at $981K.
Among households in Bonita, 76% own their home. In Bonita, the typical rent is $2,218 a month, above both California’s towns ($1,895 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Zillow values the typical Bonita home at about $1,129,000, up 4.3% in a year, 48% above the California typical home. On the market in the town: a median 29 days to sell.
$1.13MZillow home value
| Bonita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,218 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Bonita$1.13M
California$762K
Market temperature
29
days on market
100.2%
sale-to-list price
+4.3%
value change, 1 year
7
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA
For health, Bonita earns an A
Against the 5,926 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bonita’s, it is healthier than 68%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
In Bonita, just over a third of adults feel lonely. Among adults in the town, 25% have obesity, below both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). On the CDC’s 32 measures, Bonita is ahead of California on 13 and behind on 1. 8.1% of adults in Bonita smoke cigarettes; 14% report frequent mental distress.
85%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Bonita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 29% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.1% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. California
13 better18 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Bonita | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.3% | 7.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.4% | 6.4% |
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center
3.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
76th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Bonita, with inland flooding at the top
Households in Bonita have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 75% come from inland flooding and 20% from earthquakes. The national flood insurance program has paid 10 claims locally since 1980.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
10
paid flood claims since 1980
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most of Bonita’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Jobs based here grew from 1,429 in 2013 to 2,167.
The top destinations are San Diego (44%), Chula Vista (14%) and National City (4%). Most people who work leave Bonita to do it: just 2% work in town. This California town had 2,167 jobs in 2023, up 738 from 2013. Its mean commuting time stands at 24 minutes.
2%work in town
| Bonita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $119,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 16% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bonita2%
San Diego44%
Chula Vista14%
National City4%
Los Angeles2%
11 mi
median commute distance
2,167
jobs based in Bonita
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 59% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Bonita skews older than California
For adults 25 and older in Bonita, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 39%. People 65 and older are 25% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (24% statewide). The town’s median age stands at 44.1 years.
44.1median age · CA 37.9
| Bonita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.1 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 29% | 29% |
BonitaCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
13%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school19%
Some college23%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Bonita | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.7% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.9% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.1% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.5% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.4% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.2% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.2% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in Bonita
January nights average 44.8°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 80.9°.
The January low in Bonita is 45°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
83°summer high
| Bonita | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 45°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 81°F | 89°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–68°
Spring52–71°
Summer62–80°
Fall55–78°
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
83°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bonita
18pages on Bonita
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
25 within 15 miles of the center of Bonita
Southwestern CollegeCommunity college · Public · Chula Vista2.2 mi$1,344 in-state tuitionCalifornia Institute of Arts & Technology-National CityUniversity or college · Private for-profit · National City6 miSan Diego State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · San Diego8.2 mi$8,728 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Bonita residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Famous people from Bonita
3 notable people were born in Bonita.
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About Bonita
Census-designated place in California, United States
Bonita (Spanish for "Beautiful") is a census-designated place (CDP) in southern San Diego County, California, nestled between the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego. The population was 12,917 at the 2020 census, up from 12,538 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 118 ft
- ZIP code
- 91902, 91908
- Area code
- 619
Bonita’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Bonita.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; San Diego (C+) comes closest.
Chula VistaNational CitySan DiegoLa PresaBonita
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita | #176 | B− | D− | — | B+ | A |
| Chula Vista | #282 | C+ | D− | C | B+ | B+ |
| National City | #563 | D | D | D | B | C+ |
| San Diego | #249 | C+ | D− | C− | B+ | A |
| La Presa | #283 | C+ | D | — | B | B |
Bonita and La Presa report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Bonita with a neighbor →
Questions about Bonita
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bonita, CA a good place to live?
Bonita grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #176 of 841 in California. It grades A for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Bonita, 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 Bonita, CA known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Guido Knudson and Daniel Camarena.