Signals
Alpine
El Cajon
Opportunity
58 · Top 46%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Climate
84 · Top 10%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
52 · Bottom 12%
vs22 · Bottom 1%
Access
64 · Bottom 8%
vs59 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 31%
vs47 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Alpine | El Cajon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,180 | 104,449 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $108,660 | $67,511 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,644 | $31,254 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 567/sq mi | 7,198/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $864,000 | $681,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,973 | $1,856 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 41.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.0% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 20.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.6" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 64 mi | 73 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 26.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.4 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.67 | 22.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 32.6% | 70.3% | 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
Alpine
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
El Cajon
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Alpine, CA · El Cajon, CA · How this is calculated: methodology