Map the Block › Places › California › San Diego County
San Diego County, California in numbers: crime, income, hazards
FBI reports put San Diego County at 3.9 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 19% lower than the rate for California (4.8). Median household income is $106,268 and the unemployment rate was 4.9% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 3,288,774 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in San Diego County?
From 2021 through 2025, San Diego County averaged 12,720 reported violent crimes a year, along with 50,123 property crimes. That is 3.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 19% lower than the California rate (4.8), and close to the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 15.2 per 1,000 residents, compared with 21.2 across California. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (74%). CDC death records show about 98 homicide deaths a year in the county (2.9 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | San Diego County | Per 1,000 | California per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 12,720 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 100 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 779 | 0.24 | 0.37 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 2,436 | 0.74 | 1.2 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 9,404 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 50,123 | 15.2 | 21.2 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 6,787 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 32,360 | 9.8 | 13.6 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 10,975 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (19 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in San Diego County?
The median household in San Diego County earns $106,268 a year, close to the California median ($99,122). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $854,700, and the median rent is $2,246 a month. 9.9% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 80,348 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | San Diego County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,288,774 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $106,268 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $854,700 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $2,246 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 10.3% | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 9.9% | 12.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 43.2% | 37.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 54.6% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 37.3 | 37.9 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 94.9% | 93.5% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 6.4% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in San Diego County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, San Diego County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very High”. The hazards rated highest here are wildfire (Very High), river flooding (Very High), heat waves (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in San Diego County: Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 42 high-hazard dams in San Diego County. 5 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 37 Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: San Vicente (338 ft) and Olivenhain (309 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
68 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 813,677 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
San Diego County was covered by 5 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 3, Fire 2), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 52 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 82 community water systems, 6 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 303 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 97 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in San Diego County?
San Diego County had 3 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Roads listed: SR 67 and I-5. 1 is on interstates. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in San Diego County?
Federal school lists show 764 public and 173 private schools in the county. 83 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 220 fire or EMS stations and 55 police or sheriff stations. Park Service units in the area: Cabrillo National Monument. 11 state parks or recreation areas: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Border Field State Park, Carlsbad State Beach, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area and 6 more.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in San Diego County?
Census tribal areas that reach into San Diego County: Pala Reservation, San Pasqual Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Rincon Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Barona Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Campo Indian Reservation and Pechanga Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land and 13 more. 1 ancient or sacred site is on the map here: Tecate Peak. Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands · sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in San Diego County
Gun shops
25 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in San Diego County (21 from the ATF licensee list, 4 from OpenStreetMap), plus 41 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 2 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: California Storage Solutions (San Diego), Clothey & Sons Gunsmithing (El Cajon), Coastal Kinetics LLC (San Diego), Discount Gun Mart (Santee), Fine Firearms (La Mesa), Gunther Guns (Carlsbad), Hillcrest Pawnbrokers (San Diego), Laser-Tronics (San Marcos) and 13 more.
Liquor stores
457 liquor stores are on the map in San Diego County: 100 Proof Liquor (San Diego), 101 Wine Company (Encinitas), 3 Brothers Liquor (El Cajon), 4 Way Liquor (San Marcos), 5 Star Market & Liquor (Chula Vista), 5 Star Market & Liquor (La Mesa), 7 Eleven 39178 (San Diego), 7 Q Liquor (La Mesa) and 449 more.
Planned Parenthood
8 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in San Diego County: Planned Parenthood (El Cajon), Planned Parenthood (San Diego), Planned Parenthood - College Avenue Sarah Weddington Health Center (San Diego), Planned Parenthood First Avenue Family Planning Michelle Wagner Center (San Diego), Planned Parenthood Of The Pacific Southwest (Chula Vista), Planned Parenthood Of The Pacific Southwest (Escondido), Planned Parenthood Of The Pacific Southwest (Vista) and Planned Parenthood Pacific Southwest (San Diego).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in San Diego County?
San Diego County averaged 12,720 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 3.9 per 1,000 residents, 19% lower than the California rate (4.8). The property-crime rate was 15.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in San Diego County?
$106,268 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $99,122 for California and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in San Diego County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 80,348 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect San Diego County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, San Diego County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Very High”. The hazards rated highest here are wildfire (Very High), river flooding (Very High), heat waves (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in San Diego County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in San Diego County: Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base.
Is there road construction in San Diego County right now?
San Diego County had 3 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (all active that day). Roads listed: SR 67 and I-5. 1 is on interstates.
How many nursing homes are in San Diego County?
83 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does San Diego County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial County | 180,202 | 2.7 | $57,681 |
| Orange County | 3,165,820 | 2.9 | $116,289 |
| Riverside County | 2,478,600 | 3.0 | $93,074 |
Cities in San Diego County with their own page: San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas, La Mesa, Santee, National City.
More: California statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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