Carlsbad receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Carlsbad
Escondido
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs57 · Top 49%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs35 · Bottom 24%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs84 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
43 · Bottom 6%
vs42 · Bottom 5%
Access
64 · Bottom 9%
vs69 · Bottom 11%
Economic stability
65 · Top 40%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Carlsbad | Escondido | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 114,373 | 149,668 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $142,748 | $91,967 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $72,390 | $40,430 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,025/sq mi | 4,007/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,257,000 | $714,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,808 | $2,046 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.9% | 53.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.1% | 28.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 340 | 309 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 2.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -39.6% | -37.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 74°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.4" | 14.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 66 mi | 58 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 29.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.5 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.11 | 20.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 25.5% | 66.5% | 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
Carlsbad
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Escondido
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Carlsbad, CA · Escondido, CA · How this is calculated: methodology