San Diego is a city located in San Diego County California. San Diego has a 2024 population of 1,388,996. It is also the county seat of San Diego County. San Diego is currently growing at a rate of 0.05% annually and its population has increased by 0.2% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,386,292 in 2020.
The average household income in San Diego is $132,533 with a poverty rate of 11.37%. The median age in San Diego is 35.8 years: 35 years for males, and 36.8 years for females.
San Diego is a coastal Southern California city about 120 miles south of Los Angeles and along the border with Mexico. San Diego is the second largest Californian city and the eighth largest in the country. It is also one of the fastest growing U.S. cities.
San Diego is also part of the San Diego-Tijuana international metropolitan area, or conurbation, which includes San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico. The region has a 2012 population of 4.9 million.
San Diego has the third largest homeless population in the country, with the most significant percentage of homeless veterans. While San Diego was the fifth wealthiest city in the United States according to Forbes in 2005, almost 15% of the population was below the poverty line at this time.
With the U.S. economy improving, more immigration is boosting California's growth rate, and more foreigners are attracted to the region, particularly San Diego. Of the 28,200 residents added in the county between 2012 and 2013, 16,000 were foreign immigrants.
San Diego is expected to continue growing well into the future, reaching a projected 1.9 million people by 2050, or a 49% increase from 2000. The city proper will grow from 1.3 million at the 2010 census to 1.5 million in 2020. By 2050, San Diego is expected to become a white-minority city. The Hispanic population is projected to surpass the white population for the first time in 2035. By 2015, the white population is expected to stop growing and start decreasing in size by 2035.
San Diego was originally inhabited by the La Jolla and San Dieguito people, as well as the Kumeyaay people. The first European to visit the area was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who claimed the bay for Spain in 1542 and named the site San Miguel. In 1602, Sebastian Vizcaino surveyed the coast on his ship San Diego and named current-day Mission Bay and Point Loma Saint Didacus, or San Diego de Alcala. That year, the first Christian religious service recorded in the area took place to celebrate the feast day of San Diego.
By 1769, Mission San Diego de Alcala was founded and developed the most abundant native population in Alta California. When Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, San Diego became a part of Alta California, a Mexican state. The town of San Diego then began to grow before Mexico secularized it in 1834, and its land was sold to wealthy settlers. By 1838, the town's population dropped from 1,400 to just 100-150.
In 1846, the United States went to war against Mexico, eventually capturing San Diego and other areas. San Diego, Los Angeles, and the other regions were ceded to the U.S. in 1847. Three years later, California was admitted to the United States and San Diego was designated the seat of San Diego County and incorporated as a city. By World War II, San Diego became a major military and defense hub, proliferating to reach 333,000 by 1950. The military continued to play a significant role in the economy following World War II, although San Diego leaders eventually diversified the economy to focus on tourism, research, and science.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of San Diego was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 753,945 | 54.48% |
Asian | 240,252 | 17.36% |
Two or more races | 177,454 | 12.82% |
Other race | 117,296 | 8.48% |
Black or African American | 81,231 | 5.87% |
Native American | 7,789 | 0.56% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 6,020 | 0.43% |
White
Asian
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 515,475 | 2.59 | 47.6 | 52.4 |
Married | 231,023 | 3.31 | 62.8 | 37.2 |
Non Family | 207,300 | 1.46 | 33.5 | 66.5 |
Female | 54,042 | 3.55 | 38.9 | 61.1 |
Male | 23,110 | 3.31 | 42.5 | 57.5 |
3.25
Average Family Size
2.59
Average Household Size
47.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 46,897 | 4.83% |
Associates Degree | 74,403 | 7.67% |
Bachelors Degree | 275,333 | 28.38% |
Graduate Degree | 197,041 | 20.31% |
High School Graduate | 146,595 | 15.11% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 53,286 | 5.49% |
Some College | 176,716 | 18.21% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 444,107 | 434,012 | 274,074 |
Hispanic | 253,925 | 189,744 | 61,578 |
Asian | 177,116 | 158,812 | 99,610 |
2+ Races | 98,910 | 83,545 | 37,688 |
Other Race | 77,302 | 55,227 | 16,132 |
Black | 55,453 | 50,226 | 16,388 |
Native American | 5,612 | 4,491 | 1,491 |
Islander | 4,644 | 4,005 | 1,059 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 97.73%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 61.71%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $74,145 | $84,640 | $63,552 |
Graduate Degree | $101,727 | $116,847 | $85,807 |
High School Graduate | $38,384 | $43,396 | $31,717 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $28,600 | $32,762 | $21,833 |
Overall | $58,376 | $66,031 | $50,352 |
Some College | $45,933 | $52,584 | $39,614 |
$58,376
Average Earnings
$66,031
Average Male
$50,352
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
61.43% of San Diego residents speak only English, while 38.57% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 21.36% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 405,782 | 60,049 | 14.8% |
White | 555,468 | 46,342 | 8.34% |
Asian | 235,665 | 24,615 | 10.44% |
Multiple | 174,087 | 19,562 | 11.24% |
Other | 114,003 | 16,885 | 14.81% |
Black | 76,963 | 15,462 | 20.09% |
Native | 7,381 | 1,375 | 18.63% |
Islander | 5,907 | 901 | 15.25% |
11.37%
Overall Poverty Rate
10.47%
Male Poverty Rate
12.3%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in San Diego is Black, with 20.09% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in San Diego is White, with 8.34% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.7%. Among those working part-time, it was 15.64%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.79%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 21.95% |
High School | 14.13% |
Some College | 9.82% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.67% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Male Unemployed | 28.44% |
Female Unemployed | 26.86% |
Female Employed | 6.4% |
Male Employed | 4.73% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $115,908 | $153,967 |
Households | $98,657 | $132,533 |
Married Families | $136,181 | $175,298 |
Non Families | $73,163 | $95,174 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
44.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
45.4%
Male Marriage Rate
44.1%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
75,292
Number of Veterans
66,793
Male Veterans
8,499
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Second Gulf War | 27,495 |
Vietnam | 21,992 |
First Gulf War | 21,963 |
Korea | 3,356 |
World War II | 1,117 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
35 to 54 | 21,108 |
75+ | 15,930 |
65 to 74 | 14,736 |
55 to 64 | 12,110 |
18 to 34 | 11,408 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 47,528 | 7.82% |
Hispanic | 11,703 | 3.92% |
Asian | 9,860 | 4.95% |
Black | 8,003 | 13.46% |
2+ Races | 6,238 | 5.36% |
Other Race | 2,765 | 3.11% |
Islander | 504 | 9.54% |
Native American | 394 | 6.36% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.76%
Veteran Poverty Rate
23.61%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
68.1%
Labor Force Participation
60.8%
Employment Rate
6.1%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
46.83%
Born in San Diego
75.11%
Native Born
24.89%
Foreign Born
10.43%
Non Citizen
14.45%
Naturalized
75.11% of San Diego residents were born in the United States, with 46.83% having been born in California. 10.43% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 1,392,376 | 676 | 0.05% |
2028 | 1,391,700 | 676 | 0.05% |
2027 | 1,391,024 | 676 | 0.05% |
2026 | 1,390,348 | 676 | 0.05% |
2025 | 1,389,672 | 676 | 0.05% |
2024 | 1,388,996 | 676 | 0.05% |
2023 | 1,388,320 | 942 | 0.07% |
2022 | 1,387,378 | 11,236 | 0.82% |
2021 | 1,376,142 | -10,150 | -0.73% |
2020 | 1,386,292 | -33,908 | -2.39% |
2019 | 1,420,200 | 130 | 0.01% |
2018 | 1,420,070 | 10,088 | 0.72% |
2017 | 1,409,982 | 9,852 | 0.7% |
2016 | 1,400,130 | 12,563 | 0.91% |
2015 | 1,387,567 | 15,543 | 1.13% |
2014 | 1,372,024 | 19,027 | 1.41% |
2013 | 1,352,997 | 17,842 | 1.34% |
2012 | 1,335,155 | 15,966 | 1.21% |
2011 | 1,319,189 | 13,557 | 1.04% |
2010 | 1,305,632 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 1,223,400 | 112,851 | 10.16% |
1990 | 1,110,549 | 235,011 | 26.84% |
1980 | 875,538 | 178,511 | 25.61% |
1970 | 697,027 | 123,803 | 21.6% |
1960 | 573,224 | 238,837 | 71.43% |
1950 | 334,387 | 131,046 | 64.45% |
1940 | 203,341 | 55,346 | 37.4% |
1930 | 147,995 | 73,634 | 99.02% |
1920 | 74,361 | 34,783 | 87.88% |
1910 | 39,578 | 21,878 | 123.6% |
1900 | 17,700 | 1,541 | 9.54% |
1890 | 16,159 | 13,522 | 512.78% |
1880 | 2,637 | 337 | 14.65% |
1870 | 2,300 | 1,569 | 214.64% |
1860 | 731 | -1,391,645 | -99.95% |