Oak Canyon Road, 2013
Poway’s story
156 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,921 in 1960, 48,841 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 7 maps from 1903 on.
- 1870Poway is settled
Photo: Perdelsky at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
49,180
2025 Census estimate · +0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$1.21M
+0.3% in a year
Household income
$148K
median
Median age
41.2
years
Jobs based here
31,893
Balanced
TownGrade
A−
#37 of 841 in CA
Is Poway a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Poway grades A− overall, 37th among California's 841 graded towns. It has 110 miles of trail and 27% conserved land. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country and its schools outperform 89% of the state's. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $1.2 million, 11.3 years of the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income. 27% of the land in Poway is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. On safety, just 30 of California’s 426 towns do better. Poway is more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns.
What makes Poway stand out
Where Poway beats most towns.
Get outside
110 miles of trails in Poway
26.9% of the town is conserved land, across 17 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Poway grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Poway is from typical.
Its grades run from A for health (better than 94% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 3%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →HealthPalomar Medical Center Poway 2.2 miles awayAOpen →Hazard riskwildfire tops the listDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Jobs & incomeA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.9 of 20; 2.7% of households have no car; 3.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →SafetyB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsA+Open →History19 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life4.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 89° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market$1.21M typical home, up 0.3% in a year; 15 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 41.2; 54% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 75 attractions →Mexico–United States border wall and 65 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Poway. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
21 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
19 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
19 mi Theme parkSeaWorld San Diego4.0M visitors a year
8 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo Safari ParkSources: 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 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, 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
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Poway: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Poway, and how to reach them.
PowerSDG&E45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Poway water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpCity of Poway Household Hazardous Waste Collection FacilityDrop-offTown site
SchoolsEscondido Union High School DistrictPoway Unified School District2 districts serve Poway; 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 code9206492064 100%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 Poway.
Poway fares better on crime within California than nationally and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
OutdoorsA+
nearly a quarter of the land in Poway is protected from building
Poway’s trail density stands at 2.8 miles per square mile, against 1.0 in California’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Walkers can cover 110 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, 505 acres with 4.6 miles of trail.
#92for trails in CA
26.9%
conserved · 6,706 of 24,967 acres
110 mi
of trails · 2.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blue Sky Ecological Reserve | 4.6 mi | 505 |
| 2. Lake Poway Recreation Area | 2.9 mi | 155 |
| 3. Meadowbrook Ecological Reserve | 2 mi | 147 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
For schools, Poway earns an A
That grade comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.21M.
Below: Two of its 18 schools, each with why it was picked. 6 public schools serve Poway, with 3,599 students in all.
89%of CA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Peaks MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,164 | – |
| Poway HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,101 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade D−
For cost of living, Poway earns a D−
At 11.3 years of the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income, the typical home (about $1.21M) costs more against local pay than in 83% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
A home in Poway typically sold within 15 days of listing. Zillow values the typical Poway home at about $1,205,000, about the same as a year ago, 58% above the California typical home. The town’s midpoint rent comes in at $2,301 a month.
$1.21MZillow home value
| Poway | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,301 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Poway$1.21M
California$762K
Market temperature
15
days on market
99.8%
sale-to-list price
+0.3%
value change, 1 year
46
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthA
For health, Poway earns an A
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 5.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 2,852 U.S. towns with household incomes like Poway’s, it is healthier than 71%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Among adults in Poway, 9.3% have diabetes. Against the California average, Poway comes out ahead on 20 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. In Poway, 17% of adults get no exercise outside work, and 11% report frequent physical distress.
94%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Poway | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.6% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
20 better11 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Poway | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.8% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.8% | 6.4% |
Palomar Medical Center Poway
2.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
88th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Poway faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by wildfire
The FEMA hazard score for Poway comes to 85 of 100. Since 1993, 54 flood insurance claims have been paid out in the town. 44% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from wildfires, followed by inland flooding at 42%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Poway after 10 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
85risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland floodingEarthquakes
54
paid flood claims since 1993
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SafetyB+
Poway reports less crime per resident than 71% of U.S. towns
At 11.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 94% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 476 to 229 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Poway’s level of property crime is 3.7 per 1,000 residents. Its violent crime rate comes in at 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
71%of U.S. towns report more crimeB+Safety Grade
| Poway | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Poway0.9
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Poway3.7
California18.2
U.S.15.5
71st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
94th
percentile among CA towns
44
violent crimes reported in 2025
185
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Poway has mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 42.1°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 86.5°.
The January low in the town is 42°F. Snow is a rarity.
89°summer high
| Poway | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 42°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 87°F | 89°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–68°
Spring49–73°
Summer60–85°
Fall53–80°
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
About half of Poway’s working residents commute to San Diego
For residents in Poway, the share who live below the poverty line is 5.6%. Employers in Poway added 7,105 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 31,893. The town’s typical household income stands at $148,000. The median commute is under 12 miles.
12%work in town
| Poway | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $148,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 24% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Poway12%
San Diego49%
Escondido3%
Los Angeles3%
Carlsbad3%
12 mi
median commute distance
31,893
jobs based in Poway
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 84% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Poway
20pages on Poway
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 89% of CA districts · 18 schoolsSafetyB+0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than CA on 20 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD−$1.21M typical home · up 0.3% in a yearWork & commuteA−$148K median household income · 31,893 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities · wildfire
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
16 within 15 miles of the center of Poway
Alliant International University-San DiegoUniversity or college · Private for-profit · San Diego7.5 mi$14,304 tuitionSan Diego Miramar CollegeCommunity college · Public · San Diego7.8 mi$1,146 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-San MarcosUniversity or college · Public · San Marcos12.7 mi$8,082 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Poway residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Famous people from Poway
19 notable people were born in Poway.
T
Tom DeLongeAmerican rock musician · born 1975
About Poway
City in California, United States
Poway () is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Poway's rural roots influenced its motto "The City in the Country". The city had a population of 48,841 as of the 2020 United States census. Poway is part of San Diego's North County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 39 sq mi
- Elevation
- 515 ft
- ZIP code
- 92064, 92074
Poway’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Poway.
San DiegoPoway
How the neighbors grade
Questions about Poway
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Poway, CA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Poway grades A− overall, better than 82% of U.S. towns and #37 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−.
Is Poway, 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 Poway, CA known for?
19 notable people were born here, including Tom DeLonge and Kelsey Plum.