Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 60,736, settled in 1887.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Encinitas grades A− overall, 40th of 841 graded towns in California. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 96% of the country and its public schools beat 94% of California towns on state tests and graduation. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $1.9 million for a typical one and 18.1 times the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income. 68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Encinitas, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 86 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on hazard risk. Encinitas is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns.
Where Encinitas beats most towns.
18.9% of the town is conserved land, across 19 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Encinitas is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for health (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 1%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,786 in 1960, 62,007 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 6 maps from 1893 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Encinitas. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
25 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
6 mi Theme parkLegoland California
23 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
20 mi Theme parkSeaWorld San Diego4.0M visitors a yearMexico–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 · Legoland California: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdigger/, CC BY 2.0 · San Diego Zoo: en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Encinitas, and how to reach them.
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 Encinitas.
Encinitas fares better on crime within California than nationally, carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of California (mostly inland flooding) and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 18.1 years of the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income, the typical home (about $1.92M) costs more against local pay than in 95% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Home values rose 32% in five years, to about $1.92M, against 13% across California.
The median rent in Encinitas is $2,886 a month. Typical home values rose 5.9% in the year to September 2026.
| Encinitas | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,886 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.92M.
Three of its 20 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Crest MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 758 | – |
| San Dieguito HS AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,843 | – |
| JCS - Mountain OaksTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 255 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
84 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. Encinitas’ trail density is 4.2 miles per square mile. San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Preserve, at 896 acres with 9.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Preserve | 9.3 mi | 896 |
| 2. Oakcrest County Park | 0.7 mi | 14 |
| 3. Moonlight State Beach | 0.5 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 4.4% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 2,030 U.S. towns with household incomes like Encinitas’s, it is healthier than 79%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
15% of Encinitas adults get no exercise outside work. Encinitas beats the California average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 23% of Encinitas adults have obesity.
| Encinitas | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.8% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Encinitas | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.4% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.9% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 47.6°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 74°.
Encinitas has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Encinitas | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 74°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 48°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Encinitas has about as many jobs (24,123) as working residents, but only 3,597 people both live and work here. 32.7% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
33% of workers work from home in Encinitas. Since 2013, Encinitas has added 2,146 jobs, to 24,123 in 2023. 7.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Encinitas.
| Encinitas | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 33% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $162,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 16.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 85% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 866 to 391 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 92% of California towns, with expected losses of about $313 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1995, 27 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Encinitas.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
11 within 15 miles of the center of Encinitas
About 5 of every 100 Encinitas residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
3 places in Encinitas on the National Register of Historic Places.
19 notable people were born in Encinitas.
City in California, United States
Encinitas is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California, United States. Located in Southern California, it is approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of San Diego, between Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and about 95 miles (153 km) south of Los Angeles. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a population of 62,007, up from 59,518 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Encinitas.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encinitas | #40 | A− | D− | B | A | A+ |
| Carlsbad | #94 | B+ | D− | C+ | A | A+ |
| Solana Beach | #23 | A | D− | B | A+ | A+ |
| San Marcos | #100 | B+ | D− | B | A− | A− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Encinitas grades A− overall, better than 81% of U.S. towns and #40 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
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−.
19 notable people were born here, including Chase Budinger and Dr Disrespect.
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