Poverty and living standards in San Diego, California: official figures
11.0% of residents of San Diego (148,099 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 351st lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; California: 12.0%).
How many children live in poverty in San Diego?
12.1% of children under 18 in San Diego lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (30,681 children), 303rd lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; California: 15.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in San Diego?
By age, the poverty rate in San Diego was 11.6% for children under 6 and 10.7% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in San Diego live in deep poverty?
76,399 people in San Diego, 5.7% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 400th lowest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in San Diego are cost-burdened?
54.7% of renting households in San Diego spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (146,615 households), 331st highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; California: 55.3%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in San Diego spend half their income on rent?
27.2% of renting households in San Diego spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 369th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in San Diego are food insecure?
An estimated 15.7% of adults in San Diego experienced food insecurity in the past year, joint 236th lowest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 13.7% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow San Diego compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
San Diego ranks 473 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 470 | Irving | 11.0% |
| 471 | Jurupa Valley | 11.0% |
| 472 | Palm Desert | 11.0% |
| 473 | San Diego | 11.0% |
| 474 | Port Orange | 11.0% |
| 475 | Coconut Creek | 11.0% |
| 476 | San Angelo | 11.0% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
San Diego ranks 521 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 518 | Costa Mesa | 12.2% |
| 519 | Camarillo | 12.2% |
| 520 | Beaumont | 12.1% |
| 521 | San Diego | 12.1% |
| 522 | Turlock | 12.0% |
| 523 | Vancouver | 12.0% |
| 524 | Eau Claire | 12.0% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
San Diego ranks 424 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 421 | Manchester | 5.7% |
| 422 | Medford | 5.7% |
| 423 | Vallejo | 5.7% |
| 424 | San Diego | 5.7% |
| 425 | Miami Gardens | 5.7% |
| 426 | Davie | 5.7% |
| 427 | White Plains | 5.7% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
San Diego ranks 331 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 328 | Urban Honolulu | 54.8% |
| 329 | Southfield | 54.7% |
| 330 | West New York | 54.7% |
| 331 | San Diego | 54.7% |
| 332 | Greensboro | 54.7% |
| 333 | Marysville | 54.6% |
| 334 | Porterville | 54.6% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
San Diego ranks 353 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 350 | Pasadena | 15.8% |
| 351 | Placentia | 15.8% |
| 352 | Prescott Valley | 15.8% |
| 353 | San Diego | 15.7% |
| 354 | Daly City | 15.7% |
| 355 | Redding | 15.7% |
| 356 | Santa Barbara | 15.7% |
More on San Diego: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
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