Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
San Diego grades D− overall, 621st of 640 graded towns in Texas, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country. The median household income is $53K, and 34% of residents live below the poverty line. In its favor, homes are within reach, about $88K for a typical one, or 1.8 years of the county’s $49K median household income. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in San Diego, where Texas’ towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. San Diego's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns. Among 549 Texas towns, just 3 have a lower typical home value than San Diego.
4,488 counted in 2010 and 3,748 in 2020; an estimated 3,503 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 6.4% since 2020, after 16.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far San Diego is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,572 in 1880, a peak of 5,225 in 1980, 3,748 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
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 trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has poverty well above the Texas rate.
Homes are within reach (about $88K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 34 miles. At 1.8 years of the county’s $49K median household income, the typical home (about $88K) costs less against local pay than in 95% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
Typical home values fell 12% in the year to September 2026. The typical San Diego home is worth about $88,000, down 12% in a year, 70% below the Texas typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by San Diego ISD. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collins-Parr ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 688 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
22% of San Diego adults have diabetes. San Diego beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 25. 45% of San Diego adults have obesity.
| San Diego | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | San Diego | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.8% | 17% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 6.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 37.5% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 1,098 in 2013 to 830.
Most working residents leave San Diego for work: only 13% work in town. The average trip to work in San Diego is 32 minutes. Since 2013, San Diego has lost 268 jobs, to 830 in 2023.
| San Diego | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Alice weather station, 11 miles away, records that about 144 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 45.6°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 96.6°.
San Diego has warm winters and hot summers. San Diego’s January low is 46°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| San Diego | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 46°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 97°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 58% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in San Diego since 2007.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Padre Pedro Plaza | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of San Diego; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 San Diego residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Where San Diego’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in San Diego.
City in Texas, United States
San Diego is a city in Duval and Jim Wells counties, Texas, United States. The population was 3,748 at the 2020 census and 4,488 at the 2010 census. It is located primarily in Duval County, of which it is the county seat.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with San Diego.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | #621 | D− | B | — | C− | D− |
| Loma Linda East | — | — | — | — | — | — |
San Diego reports no FBI crime data of its own. Loma Linda East isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare San Diego with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
San Diego grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #621 of 640 in Texas. It grades D− for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
3 notable people were born here, including Sylvia Garcia and George Berham Parr.
