92024 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92024
92126
Opportunity
72 · Top 18%
vs65 · Top 30%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 3%
vs8 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 11%
vs50 · Bottom 12%
Access
62 · Bottom 7%
vs59 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
70 · Top 30%
vs78 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | 92024 | 92126 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,617 | 76,059 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $158,507 | $126,913 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $84,032 | $52,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,808/sq mi | 6,565/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,612,000 | $865,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,795 | $2,711 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.4% | 52.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 66.8% | 51.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.8% | 7.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 432 | 6,010 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.0 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 7.5% | -13.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 74°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.4" | 11.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 69 mi | 73 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 24.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.8 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.06 | 24.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 24.5% | 54.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
92024
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
92126
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 92024 — Encinitas, CA · 92126 — San Diego, CA · How this is calculated: methodology