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.
Of the losses FEMA expects in Ramona, 71% come from wildfires and 22% from inland flooding. Since 1980, Ramona has seen 23 flood insurance claims paid out. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Ramona after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Three of the 10 schools are below, and why each made the list. The Ramona City Unified school district runs its public schools. The 4 public schools in Ramona teach 1,928 students between them.
| 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
Ramona’s average commute is 35 minutes, above both California’s towns (28 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Just 14% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 476, to 4,151. Among residents in the town, 6.2% live below the poverty line.
| 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
July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Ramona’s density of trails comes in at 0.3 miles per square mile. Across 3 parks and preserves: 13 miles of trail. 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.
The share of adults in Ramona who feel lonely: 37%. Of 32 CDC measures, Ramona beats the California average on 1 and trails it on 8. Among adults locally, 19% report frequent mental distress and 28% have obesity.
| 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
On the market in Ramona: a median 49 days to sell. In Ramona, the going rate for rent is $1,830 a month. Bidding over the asking price: 46% of homes sold locally.
| 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% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · 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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