State
County
Land Area
325.9 sq mi
Density
4,381.20/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.14%
Growth Since 2010
9.20%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
3,347,270
San Diego is a city located in California. With a 2020 population of 1,427,720, it is the 2nd largest city in California (after ) and the 8th largest city in the United States. San Diego is currently growing at a rate of 0.14% annually and its population has increased by 9.20% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,307,400 in 2010. San Diego reached it's highest population of 1,427,720 in 2021. Spanning over 372 miles, San Diego has a population density of 4,381 people per square mile.
The average household income in San Diego is $108,864 with a poverty rate of 12.84%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,695 per month, and the median house value is $602,600. The median age in San Diego is 34.9 years, 34 years for males, and 35.9 years for females. For every 100 females there are 101.8 males.
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:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 3,347,270 | 4,470 | 0.13% |
2020 | 3,342,800 | 4,470 | 0.13% |
2019 | 3,338,330 | 4,470 | 0.13% |
2018 | 3,333,860 | 12,620 | 0.38% |
2017 | 3,321,240 | 15,150 | 0.46% |
2016 | 3,306,090 | 25,240 | 0.76% |
2015 | 3,280,850 | 31,970 | 0.97% |
2014 | 3,248,880 | 39,110 | 1.20% |
2013 | 3,209,770 | 35,430 | 1.10% |
2012 | 3,174,340 | 37,180 | 1.17% |
2011 | 3,137,160 | 33,950 | 1.08% |
2010 | 3,103,210 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 917,800 | 65.11% |
Asian | 235,676 | 16.72% |
Black or African American | 90,095 | 6.39% |
Some Other Race | 79,342 | 5.63% |
Two or More Races | 74,272 | 5.27% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 6,539 | 0.46% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 5,849 | 0.41% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 507,580 | 2.7 | 46.8 |
Married | 229,315 | 3.43 | 61.7 |
Non Family | 200,363 | 1.53 | 33.5 |
Female | 54,739 | 3.63 | 36.5 |
Male | 23,163 | 3.55 | 39 |
3.37
Average Family Size
2.7
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 62,242 | 6.41% |
9th to 12th Grade | 53,233 | 5.49% |
High School Graduate | 146,739 | 15.12% |
Some College | 190,990 | 19.68% |
Associates Degree | 71,384 | 7.36% |
Bachelors Degree | 262,063 | 27.01% |
Graduate Degree | 183,682 | 18.93% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 460,158 | 447,889 | 272,930 |
Hispanic | 250,430 | 173,050 | 51,069 |
Asian | 172,462 | 152,958 | 92,779 |
Black | 59,415 | 54,230 | 15,331 |
Other Race | 48,752 | 31,660 | 8,691 |
Multiple Races | 33,214 | 30,909 | 15,570 |
Native American | 4,494 | 3,516 | 825 |
Islander | 4,112 | 3,807 | 1,029 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 97.33%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 59.31%.
$46,987
Average Earnings
$53,213
Average Male
$40,268
Average Female
59.51% of San Diego residents speak only English, while 40.49% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 22.88% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 419,041 | 76,506 | 18.26% |
White | 585,805 | 51,768 | 8.84% |
Asian | 233,667 | 25,525 | 10.92% |
Black | 86,394 | 18,043 | 20.88% |
Other | 77,313 | 16,859 | 21.81% |
Multiple | 72,950 | 8,376 | 11.48% |
Native | 6,247 | 1,038 | 16.62% |
Islander | 5,668 | 504 | 8.89% |
12.84%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.12%
Male Poverty Rate
13.56%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in San Diego is Other, with 21.81% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in San Diego is White, with 8.84% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.20%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.62%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.67%.
44.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
44.7%
Male Marriage Rate
43.9%
Female Marriage Rate
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 45-54.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 58,883 | 8.10% |
Hispanic | 11,878 | 3.94% |
Black | 10,788 | 16.12% |
Asian | 10,459 | 5.37% |
2 or More | 3,208 | 7.73% |
Other | 1,840 | 3.14% |
Indian | 414 | 7.81% |
Hawaiian | 397 | 8.05% |
6.98%
Veteran Poverty Rate
22.67%
Veteran Disability Rate
67.7%
Labor Force Participation
61.3%
Employment Rate
5.8%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
73.88%
Native Born
26.12%
Foreign Born
12.04%
Non Citizen
14.09%
Naturalized
73.88% of San Diego residents were born in the United States, with 46.01% having been born in California. 12.04% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 1,427,720 | 1,940 | 0.14% |
2020 | 1,425,780 | 1,930 | 0.14% |
2019 | 1,423,850 | 1,930 | 0.14% |
2018 | 1,421,920 | 9,300 | 0.66% |
2017 | 1,412,620 | 10,530 | 0.75% |
2016 | 1,402,090 | 14,770 | 1.06% |
2015 | 1,387,320 | 11,490 | 0.84% |
2014 | 1,375,830 | 20,510 | 1.51% |
2013 | 1,355,320 | 18,540 | 1.39% |
2012 | 1,336,780 | 17,190 | 1.30% |
2011 | 1,319,590 | 13,680 | 1.05% |
2010 | 1,305,910 | 82,510 | 0.65% |
2000 | 1,223,400 | 112,850 | 0.97% |
1990 | 1,110,550 | 235,012 | 2.41% |
1980 | 875,538 | 178,511 | 2.31% |
1970 | 697,027 | 123,803 | 1.97% |
1960 | 573,224 | 238,837 | 5.54% |
1950 | 334,387 | 131,046 | 5.10% |
1940 | 203,341 | 55,346 | 3.23% |
1930 | 147,995 | 73,634 | 7.12% |
1920 | 74,361 | 34,783 | 6.51% |
1910 | 39,578 | 21,878 | 8.38% |
1900 | 17,700 | 1,541 | 0.92% |
1890 | 16,159 | 13,522 | 19.88% |
1880 | 2,637 | 337 | 1.38% |
1870 | 2,300 | 1,569 | 12.15% |
1860 | 731 | 0.00% |