HomeCaliforniaSan Diego County
San Diego County, California: commercial real estate data.
San Diego County, California has a population of 3,288,774 across 4,207 square miles, up 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $331.87 bn in 2024, 93,407 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4,475 7(a) approvals worth $2.44 bn.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
San Diego County
How many people live in San Diego County
- Population3,288,774
- Households1,171,278
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$106,268
- Median age37.3
- Median gross rent$2,246 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$854,700
- Home value to household income8.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher43.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree17.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,281,385
- Population under 18687,317
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over507,734
- Share 65 and over15.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,093,723
- Civilian labor force1,689,384
- Unemployment rate6.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.9 percent
- Rank by population among California counties2nd of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents5th
San Diego County is the 2nd largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 8.0 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.9 percent against 15.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
San Diego County
Is San Diego County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.00 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,298,647
- Births, 202435,738
- Deaths, 202423,071
- Natural change, 202412,667
- Net domestic migration, 2024-23,934
- Net international migration, 202424,226
- Total net migration, 2024292
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-110,045
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1818th
The county has grown 0.00 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
San Diego County
Where are people moving to San Diego County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving70,260
- People arriving, from those returns112,882
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.27 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$103,475
- Largest single originSan Diego County Non-migrants (1,343,640 households)
- Largest single destination (1,343,640 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County Non-migrants | 1,343,640 | 2,626,129 | $156.12 bn |
| Los Angeles County | 6,638 | 9,731 | $892.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 6,173 | 10,094 | $470.9 m |
| Riverside County | 4,956 | 8,464 | $367.3 m |
| Orange County | 3,940 | 5,939 | $407.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,676 | 4,515 | $151.1 m |
| Santa Clara County | 1,755 | 2,882 | $405.6 m |
| San Bernardino County | 1,692 | 2,760 | $123.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is San Diego County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
San Diego County
What is the San Diego County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$331.87 bn
- County GDP, 2023$315.27 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.3 percent
- GDP change over five years34.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents10th
- GDP per resident$100,909
Output grew 5.3 percent in the latest year and 34.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
San Diego County
Largest employers in San Diego County
- Covered employment, annual average1,536,541
- Establishments reporting133,031
- Average annual pay$82,854
- Average weekly wage$1,593
- Sector 62, employment222,467
- Sector 62, average annual pay$66,856
- Sector 72, employment170,776
- Sector 72, average annual pay$35,930
- Sector 54, employment148,122
- Sector 54, average annual pay$152,586
- Sector 44-45, employment136,918
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$45,583
- Sector 31-33, employment111,940
- Sector 56, employment90,817
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 222,467 | 44,828 | $66,856 |
| Sector 72 | 170,776 | 8,123 | $35,930 |
| Sector 54 | 148,122 | 17,843 | $152,586 |
| Sector 44-45 | 136,918 | 8,917 | $45,583 |
| Sector 31-33 | 111,940 | 3,688 | $118,398 |
| Sector 56 | 90,817 | 5,108 | $61,696 |
| Sector 23 | 89,940 | 8,865 | $84,397 |
| Sector 81 | 55,358 | 8,992 | $47,853 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 222,467 jobs, 14.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
San Diego County
How many businesses are in San Diego County?
- Establishments, all industries93,407
- Employment at those establishments1,391,721
- Annual payroll$106.22 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
San Diego County
Building permits in San Diego County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202411,572
- Declared construction value permitted$2.67 bn
- Single family units authorised3,377
- Multifamily units authorised8,195
- Multifamily share of units70.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$231,115
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.9
Multifamily is 70.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
San Diego County
SBA loans in San Diego County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4,475
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.44 bn
- Average 7(a) approval$546,106
- Median 7(a) approval$204,500
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,500,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)48,429
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active171
- Distinct industries receiving approvals542
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms693
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3,640
- Franchise loans357
- Franchise share of approvals8.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (185)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (673)
- 504 approvals recorded1,743
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.59 bn
- Average 504 approval$913,718
- Median 504 approval$633,000
- Distinct CDCs active15
- 504 jobs per approval13.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.6
- Most active CDCCDC Small Business Finance Corp. (836)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals72.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.04 bn
The average approval of $546,106 sits well above the median of $204,500, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 15.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
San Diego County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in San Diego County
Do SBA loans in San Diego County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded807
- Paid in full727
- Charged off80
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.9 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2,812
- Status: Cancelled625
- Status: Paid in full727
- Status: Charged off80
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed231
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | 23 | 3 | 13.0% |
| 722513 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 21 | 4 | 19.0% |
| 621210 | Offices of Dentists | 15 | 1 | 6.7% |
| 722515 | Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
| 524210 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 14 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 541990 | All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
| 541110 | Offices of Lawyers | 13 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 531390 | Other Activities Related to Real Estate | 13 | 2 | 15.4% |
Of the 807 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.9 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Limited-Service Restaurants carries the highest charge off rate at 19.0 percent.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
San Diego County
SBA lending by place in San Diego County
- Places in the county with recorded lending65
- SAN DIEGO, approvals1,872
- EL CAJON, approvals272
- Escondido, approvals237
- CARLSBAD, approvals231
- CHULA VISTA, approvals226
- OCEANSIDE, approvals224
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SAN DIEGO | 1,872 | $903,698,700 |
| EL CAJON | 272 | $185,137,000 |
| Escondido | 237 | $157,548,000 |
| CARLSBAD | 231 | $121,144,400 |
| CHULA VISTA | 226 | $88,685,700 |
| OCEANSIDE | 224 | $133,190,000 |
| VISTA | 195 | $120,934,700 |
| SAN MARCOS | 182 | $107,329,700 |
SAN DIEGO accounts for 1,872 approvals against 272 in EL CAJON. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
San Diego County
How large is San Diego County?
- Land area4,207 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties9th of 58
- Width, east to west87.9 mi
- Height, north to south67 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land782
- Establishments per square mile22.20
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
San Diego County
Flood risk in San Diego County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book19
- Of those, participating in the NFIP19
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class4
- Radon levels in San Diego County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places San Diego County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class in San Diego County is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a San Diego County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a San Diego County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population3,288,774
- Households1,171,278
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$106,268
- Median age37.3
Common questions
San Diego County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in San Diego County, California?
3,288,774, in 1,171,278 households, ranking 2nd of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is San Diego County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.00 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 35,738 births against 23,071 deaths, with net migration of 292. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in San Diego County?
$106,268. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $854,700, which is 8.0 times income, and median gross rent is $2,246 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in San Diego County?
93,407 establishments, employing 1,391,721 people with an annual payroll of $106.22 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in San Diego County?
Average annual pay is $82,854, or $1,593 a week, across 1,536,541 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in San Diego County?
4,475 7(a) approvals totalling $2.44 bn since FY2020, across 171 lenders, with a median approval of $204,500, plus 1,743 504 approvals worth $1.59 bn. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in San Diego County get paid back?
Of the 807 loans that have reached a final outcome, 727 were paid in full and 80 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in San Diego County?
11,572 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.67 bn. Multifamily was 70.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for San Diego County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to San Diego County come from?
The largest single origin is San Diego County Non-migrants, with 1,343,640 households. Arriving households report an average income of $103,475 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for San Diego County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for San Diego County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
San Diego County
Cities and places in San Diego.
57 Census places lie wholly or partly in San Diego County. 57 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | city | 1,389,526 | 1,879 | Wholly in this county |
| Chula Vista | city | 276,375 | 226 | Wholly in this county |
| Oceanside | city | 172,242 | 225 | Wholly in this county |
| Escondido | city | 149,668 | 237 | Wholly in this county |
| Carlsbad | city | 114,373 | 231 | Wholly in this county |
| El Cajon | city | 104,449 | 274 | Wholly in this county |
| Vista | city | 99,114 | 196 | Wholly in this county |
| San Marcos | city | 94,882 | 182 | Wholly in this county |
| Encinitas | city | 61,480 | 114 | Wholly in this county |
| La Mesa | city | 60,797 | 87 | Wholly in this county |
| Santee | city | 59,332 | 80 | Wholly in this county |
| National City | city | 58,893 | 82 | Wholly in this county |
| Poway | city | 48,713 | 96 | Wholly in this county |
| La Presa | CDP | 34,962 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fallbrook | CDP | 32,112 | 41 | Wholly in this county |
| Spring Valley | CDP | 31,969 | 54 | Wholly in this county |
| Lemon Grove | city | 27,686 | 28 | Wholly in this county |
| Imperial Beach | city | 25,764 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Ramona | CDP | 22,634 | 40 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeside | CDP | 22,447 | 43 | Wholly in this county |
| Winter Gardens | CDP | 22,131 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rancho San Diego | CDP | 21,272 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix | CDP | 19,765 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coronado | city | 19,015 | 18 | Wholly in this county |
| Bostonia | CDP | 16,765 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Camp Pendleton South | CDP | 15,766 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alpine | CDP | 15,180 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Solana Beach | city | 12,823 | 37 | Wholly in this county |
| Bonita | CDP | 12,652 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Valley Center | CDP | 11,119 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| San Diego Country Estates | CDP | 10,223 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Camp Pendleton Mainside | CDP | 9,501 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jamul | CDP | 6,574 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Eucalyptus Hills | CDP | 5,840 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake San Marcos | CDP | 4,693 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bonsall | CDP | 4,332 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Harbison Canyon | CDP | 4,328 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Del Mar | city | 3,903 | 31 | Wholly in this county |
| Granite Hills | CDP | 3,795 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hidden Meadows | CDP | 3,524 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Crest | CDP | 2,775 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Campo | CDP | 2,729 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fairbanks Ranch | CDP | 2,703 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Borrego Springs | CDP | 2,700 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Harmony Grove | CDP | 2,585 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rancho Santa Fe | CDP | 2,260 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Rainbow | CDP | 2,029 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Valley | CDP | 1,786 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Julian | CDP | 1,751 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Descanso | CDP | 1,590 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Pala | CDP | 914 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Boulevard | CDP | 752 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Jacumba | CDP | 740 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elfin Forest | CDP | 592 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Potrero | CDP | 417 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Del Dios | CDP | 379 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Laguna | CDP | 93 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 397 SBA approvals in San Diego County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being National City, Sun Valley, La Jolla. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.