Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 9,501.
Homes are expensive, about for a typical one and times the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income. Overall it grades C+, ranked 312th of 841 in California. Residents are healthier than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. Camp Pendleton Mainside’s median rent is $3,501 a month, where California’s towns sit at $1,895 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. Only 1 of California’s 1,058 towns score lower on cost of living. Santa Margarita Ranchhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Camp Pendleton Mainside beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Camp Pendleton Mainside | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 2% | 11.7% |
Where Camp Pendleton Mainside’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Camp Pendleton Mainside is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 11,803 in 1970, a low of 2,065 in 1980, 9,683 in 2020. The archive holds 3 maps from 1948 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Camp Pendleton Mainside. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
12 mi Theme parkLegoland California
38 mi Theme parkSeaWorld San Diego4.0M visitors a year
39 mi TheatrePechanga Arena
24 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo Safari Park
29 mi BeachBlack's BeachSnapdragon Stadium: Terrible Tim, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Legoland California: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdigger/, CC BY 2.0 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pechanga Arena: Nehrams2020, CC BY-SA 3.0 · San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Flickr user: Olivier Bruchez https://www.flickr.com/photos/bruchez/, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Black's Beach: Levi Clancy, CC BY-SA 4.0
Camp Pendleton Mainside is unincorporated, so San Diego County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Camp Pendleton Mainside.
Camp Pendleton Mainside has less diabetes than most of California, has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has commutes shorter than most of California.
Only 0% of households own their home, against 55.9% across California.
The median age in Camp Pendleton Mainside is 21.6 years. Adults 18 to 34 are 72% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 9% of residents (39% statewide). 19% of residents are under 18 in Camp Pendleton Mainside.
| Camp Pendleton Mainside | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.6 years | 39.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
28% women, 72% men
About 256 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±9 points). Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 85% are men (CA 51%). Median age: women 21.4, men 21.6.
| Camp Pendleton Mainside | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 56.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.9% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 1.6% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 0.1% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 0.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0.6% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.3% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 37.7% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.9% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.9% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.6% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Fallbrook Union Elementary school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Fay Pendleton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 820 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is diabetes: 2% of its 8,611 adults have diabetes, against 11.7% statewide.
2% of Camp Pendleton Mainside adults have diabetes. Only 2 of the 847 California towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have high blood pressure than Camp Pendleton Mainside. 20% of Camp Pendleton Mainside adults have obesity.
| Camp Pendleton Mainside | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 2% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 7.9% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Camp Pendleton Mainside | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 2% | 11.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 1.1% | 6.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 26.4% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 1,830 working residents takes 11.5 minutes, against 28.7 across California. Jobs based here grew from 456 in 2013 to 839.
Most working residents leave Camp Pendleton Mainside for work: only 0% work in town. Camp Pendleton Mainside’s average trip to work is 12 minutes. Since 2013, Camp Pendleton Mainside has added 383 jobs, to 839 in 2023.
| Camp Pendleton Mainside | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 46.6°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 81.6°.
Camp Pendleton Mainside has warm winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Camp Pendleton Mainside | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 47°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 89°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
3 within 15 miles of the center of Camp Pendleton Mainside
About 5 of every 100 Camp Pendleton Mainside residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Camp Pendleton Mainside grades C+ overall, better than 37% of U.S. towns and #312 of 841 in California. It grades A for health and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
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