Live oak lakeside california 1908, 1908
Lakeside’s story
140 years in pictures
Census counts: 11,991 in 1970, 21,152 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 8 maps from 1893 on.
- 1886Lakeside is founded
LakesideCA
A town of 22,447, founded in 1886.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Jengod · CC BY 4.0
Population
22,447
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$812K
+1.5% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
38.7
years
Jobs based here
4,859
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#416 of 841 in CA
Is Lakeside a good place to live?
Lakeside's standout: it has 9 miles of trail and 29% conserved land. Overall it grades C, 416th of 841 graded towns in California. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. 29% of the land in Lakeside is conserved, above both California’s towns (4.2%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Homes are expensive, about $812K for a typical one and 7.6 times the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income. The biggest park or preserve is Lake Jennings Country Park, at 537 acres.
What makes Lakeside stand out
Where Lakeside beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
OutdoorsA+
29.2% conserved land
Biggest place to walk: Lindo Lake County Park, 1.8 mi of trail.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
3% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and wildfire at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Lakeside for work
Where Lakeside’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,859jobs based in Lakeside
4%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lakeside grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Lakeside is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.8 of 20; 3.5% of households have no carA−Open →HealthGrossmont Hospital 8.1 miles awayBOpen →Jobs & income$96K median household incomeBOpen →SchoolsC+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, 91° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market22 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.7; 26% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 70 attractions →Mexico–United States border wall and 66 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakeside. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
18 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
17 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
17 mi Park & preserveBalboa Park
20 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
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Lakeside: who provides what
Lakeside is unincorporated, so San Diego County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSDG&E45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLakeside WD water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Diego CountySan Diego County provides services here
SchoolsGrossmont Union High School DistrictLakeside Union Elementary School DistrictCajon Valley Union Elementary School District3 districts serve Lakeside; 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 codes92040, 9202192040 83% · 92021 17%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 Lakeside.
OutdoorsA+
Lakeside has set aside nearly a quarter of its land for conservation
8.9 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Lakeside’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both the California town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
#306for trails in CA
29.2%
conserved · 1,353 of 4,636 acres
8.9 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lindo Lake County Park | 1.8 mi | 57 |
| 2. Walker Preserve Trail | 1.1 mi | 9 |
| 3. Lake Jennings Country Park | 0.6 mi | 537 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Lakeside fall behind 58% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Lakeside Union Elementary school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is El Capitan High, with 1,810 students.
42%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tierra del Sol MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 713 | C− |
| El Capitan HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,810 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Lakeside faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Since 1979, 25 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lakeside.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
25
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Lakeside’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Lakeside for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Lakeside has added 454 jobs, to 4,859 in 2023. The top destinations are San Diego (36%), El Cajon (10%) and Santee (5%).
4%work in town
| Lakeside | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Lakeside4%
San Diego36%
El Cajon10%
Santee5%
La Mesa3%
14 mi
median commute distance
4,859
jobs based in Lakeside
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Lakeside
Lakeside has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Lakeside’s July high is 89°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–69°
Spring49–75°
Summer60–88°
Fall52–82°
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Lakeside ranks healthier than 64% of the country’s towns
Lakeside beats the California average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 28% of adults have obesity in Lakeside.
64%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Lakeside | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. California
4 better22 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Lakeside | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 15.5% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.6% | 6.4% |
Grossmont Hospital
8.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
52nd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade D
Lakeside’s grade for cost of living is a D
The median rent in Lakeside is $2,016 a month. The typical Lakeside home is worth about $812,000, up 1.5% in a year, 7% above the California typical home.
$812KZillow home value
| Lakeside | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,016 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lakeside$812K
California$762K
Market temperature
22
days on market
100%
sale-to-list price
+1.5%
value change, 1 year
14
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lakeside
18pages on Lakeside
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
11 within 15 miles of the center of Lakeside
Southern California SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · El Cajon3.9 mi$19,080 tuitionGrossmont CollegeCommunity college · Public · El Cajon6.6 mi$1,332 in-state tuitionSan Diego State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · San Diego11.2 mi$8,728 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Lakeside residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Famous people from Lakeside
5 notable people were born in Lakeside.
About Lakeside
Census designated place in California, United States
Lakeside is a census-designated place (CDP) in the East County region of San Diego County, California. The population was 21,152 at the 2020 census, up from 20,648 as of the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 413 ft
- ZIP code
- 92040
- Area code
- 619
Lakeside’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Lakeside.
Winter GardensEucalyptus HillsLakeside
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside | #416 | C | D | — | C+ | B |
| Winter Gardens | #382 | C | D | — | C+ | B |
| Eucalyptus Hills | #194 | B− | C− | — | B | A− |
Lakeside, Winter Gardens and Eucalyptus Hills report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lakeside with a neighbor →
Questions about Lakeside
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakeside, CA a good place to live?
Lakeside grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #416 of 841 in California. It grades B for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Lakeside, 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 Lakeside, CA known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Jack Taylor and Katie Wilkins.