Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. Overall it grades C, ranked 364th of 841 in California. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $806K for a typical one and 7.6 times the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income. 13% of the land in Ramona is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Its National Register listings include Theophile Verlaque House and Ramona Town Hall.
Where Ramona beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Ramona’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 Ramona is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,158 in 1950, 21,468 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 5 maps from 1942 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ramona 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 Ramona.
Ramona’s FEMA risk score is 100 of 100, above both the California town median (88 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1980, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ramona.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Ramona City Unified school district. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive Peirce MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 680 | – |
| Ramona HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,404 | A− |
| Mountain Valley AcademyTop results in townGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 182 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Ramona for work: only 14% work in town. The average trip to work in Ramona is 35 minutes. Since 2013, Ramona has added 476 jobs, to 4,151 in 2023.
| Ramona | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $107,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Ramona has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Ramona’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
13 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Ramona Community Park, 193 acres with 3.6 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ramona Community Park | 3.6 mi | 193 |
| 2. Cleveland National Forest | — | 17 |
| 3. Collier Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 7,556 U.S. towns with household incomes like Ramona’s, it is less healthy than 74%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Ramona beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 73% of Ramona adults had a checkup this year.
| Ramona | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 36% | 33% |
| What stands out | Ramona | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 62.9% | 57.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.8% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Ramona home is worth about $807,000, up 0.8% in a year, 6% above the California typical home.
| Ramona | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,830 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 64% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ramona. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
29 mi Stadium & arenaPetco Park
27 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
8 mi Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo Safari Park
28 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 · San Diego Zoo: en:User:Cburnett, 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 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Ramona
About 6 of every 100 Ramona residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
5 places in Ramona on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Ramona.
Census-designated place in California, United States
Ramona is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California, United States. The population was 21,468 at the 2020 census, up from 20,292 at the 2010 census. The name Ramona also refers to an unincorporated community of San Diego (with some plans to incorporate) that includes both the Ramona CDP and the adjacent CDP of San Diego Country Estates. The population of the two CDPs, which does not include the fringe areas surrounding the CDPs, was 30,301 at the 2010 census, up from 25,223 at the 2000 census. The Ramona Community Planning Area had a population of 33,404 at the 2000 census. The January 1, 2006, population of the Ramona Community Planning Area is estimated to be 36,405 …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Ramona.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramona | #364 | C | D | — | B | B− |
| San Diego Country Estates | #341 | C | D− | — | B | A |
| San Diego | #249 | C+ | D− | C− | B+ | A |
Ramona and San Diego Country Estates report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ramona with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ramona grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #364 of 841 in California. It grades B− for health and B for schools. Hazard risk 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.
5 notable people were born here, including John Hopkins and CoCo Goodson.
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