San Diego County, California

CA · FIPS 06073 Democrat

Located in California, San Diego County has a population of 3,288,774 residents and a median age of 37.3 years, making it the #5 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.3%. The median home value is $854,700, and the median household income is $106,268, which is 41% above the national median.

3,288,774
Population
#5 of 3,222
$106,268
Median Income
+41.4% #117 of 3,222
37.3 years
Median Age
-4.1% #2,696 of 3,222
10.3%
Poverty Rate
-18.4% #856 of 3,222

Demographics

San Diego County has a population of 3,288,774, making it the #5 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.3 years, which is 4.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

77.2%
Native Born
22.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in San Diego County is $106,268, ranking #117 out of 3,222 counties — 41.4% above the national median. The poverty rate is 10.3% and unemployment stands at 5.8%.

Income#117
$106,268
+41.4%
vs nation
96th percentile
Per Capita#185
$51,976
+26.0%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poverty#856
10.3%
-18.4%
vs nation
73th percentile
Unemployment#2,443
5.8%
+9.7%
vs nation
24th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in San Diego County is $854,700 (+203.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,246/mo and the homeownership rate is 54.6%.

Home Value#24
$854,700
+203.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Rent#15
$2,246
+93.1%
vs nation
100th percentile
Homeownership#3,113
54.6%
-15.3%
vs nation
3th percentile

Household Type

Education

In San Diego County, 43.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 28.1% above the national average, ranking #197 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
43.2% +28.1% vs nation
Rank #197 of 3,222
94th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in San Diego County is 80.3 years. 16.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#181
80.3
+6.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#893
16.4%
-16.2%
vs nation
72th percentile
Diabetes#732
9.4%
-15.6%
vs nation
77th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#815
34.5%
-7.5%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#681
5.2
-8.2%
vs nation
78th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,173
4.2
-5.6%
vs nation
63th percentile
Uninsured Rate#919
7.3%
-30.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Physical Inactivity#156
18.3%
-30.6%
vs nation
95th percentile
Food Insecurity#487
10.9%
-24.3%
vs nation
85th percentile

Substance Use

10.2% of adults in San Diego County smoke , 25.4% are obese , and 23.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 27.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#58
10.2%
-43.2%
vs nation
98th percentile
Adult Obesity#42
25.4%
-33.0%
vs nation
99th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,649
23.0%
+15.9%
vs nation
16th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,039
27.7
-14.5%
vs nation
51th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in San Diego County is 3.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#247
3.0
-63.1%
vs nation
84th percentile
Suicide Rate#229
11.5
-41.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#121
6.7
-62.3%
vs nation
95th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#219
8.5
-58.2%
vs nation
92th percentile

Families & Children

11.6% of children in San Diego County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 9.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#64
3.6
-46.6%
vs nation
95th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#379
9.4
-57.0%
vs nation
87th percentile
Child Poverty#531
11.6%
-38.9%
vs nation
83th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in San Diego County is 69.8%. The mean commute time is 28.2 min, which is 2.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.2 min +2.0% vs nation
Rank #1,227 of 3,222
62th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, San Diego County voted Democratic with a margin of 16.8%. The vote was 56.9% Dem / 40.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.9 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +16.8%
56.9% 40.1%
Dem 1,477,786 votes Rep
2020 DEM +22.7%
60.2% 37.5%
Dem 1,601,722 votes Rep
2016 DEM +17.0%
55.9% 38.9%
Dem 768,383 votes Rep
2012 DEM +5.1%
51.5% 46.4%
Dem 928,256 votes Rep
2008 DEM +10.2%
54.1% 43.9%
Dem 1,231,047 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About San Diego County, California

San Diego County, California has a total population of 3,288,774, making it the 5th most populous county in the United States. The median age in San Diego County is 37.3 years, which is 4.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in San Diego County is $106,268, which ranks #117 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 41.4% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.8%.

The median home value in San Diego County is $854,700, 203.2% above the national median. Renters in San Diego County pay a median gross rent of $2,246 per month. The homeownership rate is 54.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In San Diego County, 43.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28.1% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.2 min.

San Diego County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 42.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (34.6%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (12.1%).

All data for San Diego County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.