Carlsbad and San Diego receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Carlsbad
San Diego
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs62 · Top 37%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs58 · Top 36%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
43 · Bottom 6%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Access
64 · Bottom 9%
vs55 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
65 · Top 40%
vs63 · Top 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Carlsbad | San Diego | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 114,373 | 1,389,526 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $142,748 | $108,077 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $72,390 | $57,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,025/sq mi | 4,261/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,257,000 | $906,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,808 | $2,313 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.9% | 47.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.1% | 51.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.9% | 11.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 340 | 6,010 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -39.6% | -13.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 74°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.4" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 66 mi | 79 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.8 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.5 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 23 | 288 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.11 | 22.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 25.5% | 50.5% | 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.
San Diego
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Carlsbad, CA · San Diego, CA · How this is calculated: methodology