Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
San Diego's C+ covers 1.4 million people, and the city's neighborhoods vary far more than any single grade can show. Within California, that puts it 249th of 841. It is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 95% of U.S. towns. What weighs on its grade: homes are expensive, about $980K for a typical one and 9.2 times the San Diego metro’s $106K median household income, and its crime rate is higher than 76% of U.S. towns, with 5,247 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 61% of working residents work locally in San Diego, where California’s towns sit at 6.6% and U.S. towns at 8%. Its National Register listings include Chicano Park and Old Mission Dam. Only 89 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where San Diego beats most towns.
Chicano Park| College | Students |
|---|---|
| University of California-San Diego | 42,066 |
| San Diego State University | 36,799 |
| San Diego Mesa College | 11,593 |
Chicano Park is one of 9 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1769, is the earliest of any California town we grade.
Census counts: 500 in 1850, 1,386,932 in 2020. The archive holds 31 old photos and papers going back to 1769 and 7 maps from 1904 on.
92 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far San Diego is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around San Diego. Close and well known come first.
Big drawin town Stadium & arenaSnapdragon Stadium
in town Stadium & arenaPetco Park
in town Zoo & aquariumSan Diego Zoo4.0M visitors a year
Big draw21 mi LandmarkMexico–United States border wall
in town Theme parkSeaWorld San Diego4.0M visitors a year
in town Park & preserveBalboa ParkSnapdragon 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 · Mexico–United States border wall: Földhegy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SeaWorld San Diego: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Balboa Park: Antoine Taveneaux, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in San Diego, 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 San Diego.
San Diego fares better on crime within California than nationally and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
725 miles of trail in 304 parks and preserves. San Diego’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Mission Trails Regional Park, 6,652 acres with 51.2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve | 53.9 mi | 3,902 |
| 2. Mission Trails Regional Park | 51.2 mi | 6,652 |
| 3. Balboa Park | 28.2 mi | 1,215 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the San Diego Unified school district. Three of its 370 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernardo Heights MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,487 | – |
| Del Norte HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,557 | – |
| Scripps Ranch HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,890 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
24% of San Diego adults have obesity. San Diego beats the California average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of San Diego adults have high blood pressure.
| San Diego | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 29% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | San Diego | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.2% | 11.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 66.4% | 71.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 32.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 59% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 30,731 to 26,938 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in San Diego is 3.7 per 1,000 residents. San Diego reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 76% report less. The property crime rate in San Diego is 15.4 per 1,000 residents.
| San Diego | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.4 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
47% of households own their home in San Diego. The typical San Diego home is worth about $981,000, about the same as a year ago, 29% above the California typical home.
| San Diego | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,313 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 47% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 44.9°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 80.1°.
San Diego has warm winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| San Diego | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 80°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 45°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
589 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 71 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 589 flood insurance claims have been paid out in San Diego.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based in San Diego grew to 793,911 in 2023, 115,817 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Chula Vista (4%), Los Angeles (3%) and Poway (2%). Half commute less than 9 miles.
| San Diego | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 21% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $108,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
30 within 15 miles of the center of San Diego
About 10 of every 100 San Diego residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
24 colleges in town.
92 places in San Diego on the National Register of Historic Places.
30 notable people were born in San Diego.
City in California, United States
San Diego ( SAN dee-AY-goh; Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, next to the Mexican border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County. It is known for its mild Mediterranean climate, extensive beaches and parks, long association with the United States Navy, and recent emergence as a wireless, electronics, healthcare, and biotechnology development center. Historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with San Diego.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | #249 | C+ | D− | C− | B+ | A |
| Poway | #37 | A− | D− | B+ | A | A |
| Santee | #142 | B | D− | B | B+ | A− |
| Escondido | #551 | D | D− | C | C+ | B− |
| Lemon Grove | #432 | C | D | C | B− | B |
| La Mesa | #277 | C+ | D− | C | B | A− |
| Coronado | #178 | B− | D− | C | B+ | A+ |
| National City | #563 | D | D | D | B | C+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
San Diego grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #249 of 841 in California. It grades A for health, C− for safety and B+ 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−.
30 notable people were born here, including Cameron Diaz and Gregory Peck.
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