Skip to main content

San Diego, California

Know what your San Diego home is really worth

Year-round Mediterranean climate and defense-sector employment anchor a $699.95K median sale price in San Diego, with 534 active listings spanning coastal La Jolla and Pacific Beach to inland Chula Vista and El Cajon.

San Diego market snapshot

Median Sale Price
$700K
Median Days on Market
45 days
Active Listings
534

RentCast market data · San Diego County County, California

About San Diego, California

San Diego ( SAN dee-AY-goh; Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States 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 metropolitan 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 has been referred to as the Birthplace of California, as it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. In 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, forming the basis for the settlement of Alta California, 200 years later. The Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly declared Mexican Empire. California was ceded to the U.S. in 1848 following the Mexican–American War and was admitted as the 31st state in 1850.

The largest sectors of the economy of San Diego include military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, research, and manufacturing. The city is home to several universities, including UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and the University of San Diego. San Diego is the economic center of the San Diego–Tijuana region, the second-most populous transborder metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere, home to an estimated five million people as of 2022. The primary border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, the San Ysidro Port of Entry, is the busiest international land border crossing in the world outside of Asia (fourth-busiest overall). San Diego International Airport (SAN) is the busiest single-runway airport in the United States.

San Diego by the numbers

Population 1,385,061 · Median age 36.0 yrs · Census ACS 2023

Median household income

San Diego's median household income of $104,321 compares to $96,334 statewide and $78,538 nationally, per Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates.

Median age (years)

The median age in San Diego is 36.0 yrs, compared to 37.6 yrs for California and 38.7 yrs nationally.

Foreign-born residents

24.8% of San Diego residents were born outside the U.S., vs. 26.7% statewide and 13.9% nationally.

Gender split

San Diego is 50.8% male and 49.2% female, per Census ACS estimates.

Population trend — San Diego

San Diego's population declined 1.7% from 2019 to 2023, per Census ACS 5-year estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.

San Diego economy

The largest sectors of San Diego's economy are defense/military, tourism, international trade, and research/manufacturing. San Diego recorded a median household income of $79,646 in 2018, an increase of 3.89% from $76,662 in 2017. The median property value in San Diego in 2018 was $654,700, and the average home has two cars per household.

Source: Wikipedia article on San Diego under CC BY-SA 4.0.

San Diego real estate — frequently asked questions

What is the median home price in San Diego?
The median home sale price in San Diego, CA is $699,950, based on the most recent available sales data.
How long do homes stay on the market in San Diego?
Homes in San Diego sell in a median of 45 days.
What is the cost of living like in San Diego?
San Diego has a median household income of $104,321, per U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates.
Who lives in San Diego?
San Diego has a population of 1,385,061 with a median age of 36.0 years, per U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates.
How do I sell my home in San Diego?
Start with a free, no-obligation home value estimate. Enter your address above and we'll connect you with a licensed local real-estate professional familiar with the San Diego market within 24 hours.

How it works

  1. 1

    Enter your address

    We pull public records and comparable sales for your San Diego property in seconds.

  2. 2

    See the math

    Three data-driven estimates — low, mid, and high — with the market context behind them.

  3. 3

    Connect with an expert

    A licensed California real-estate professional reaches out within 24 hours.

Free — No obligation

Know what your San Diego home is really worth

Get a data-driven estimate backed by comparable sales in San Diego, California — delivered in seconds.

Get My Free Home Value →

Licensed real-estate professional responds within 24 hours.

ForSaleAmerica.com is an online marketplace and is not a real estate brokerage in California. Property valuations shown are automated estimates based on public data and are not appraisals, comparative market analyses, or guarantees of sale price. We connect homeowners with top local agents and partners — we do not represent buyers or sellers.