County profile · California
San Diego County, CA market data
How San Diego County compares with other counties for 56 business types: competitors, household spending, official counts and growth.
- Population, 2025
- 3,282,248
- −0.6% since 2020
- Households
- 1,171,278
- Median household income
- $106,268
- +34.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Median home value
- $854,700
- Jobs located here
- 1,516,991
- Highest market score
- 72
- Convenience stores, #363 of 2,261 scored counties
A site report maps the competitors on map listings around any address in San Diego County by name and distance, and the households and spending within reach. Or open the report at the center of San Diego County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
San Diego County has an estimated 3,282,248 people and 1,171,278 households. Population estimates put the population change in San Diego County from 2020 to 2025 at −0.6%, against +3.1% for the U.S. Median household income in San Diego County is $106,268, 32% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 34.6%, before inflation.
Relative to the U.S., household spending in San Diego County runs highest on child care and other personal services (an index of 158, where 100 is the U.S. average) and lowest on vehicle insurance (98).
Of the business types scored in San Diego County, convenience stores (72), funeral homes (71) and gas stations (70) have the highest Groundwork market scores. For convenience stores, that ranks #363 of 2,261 scored counties.
San Diego County is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad metro area. Against the U.S., map listings per household run highest for yoga, Pilates and fitness studios (2.1 times the U.S. rate) and lowest for funeral homes (52% below the U.S. rate).
All 56 business types in San Diego County
Highest Groundwork market score first. Each score compares San Diego County with other counties for that business type, from 0 to 100. Spending per listing divides a whole spending line (all vehicle repairs, all eating out) by one type’s listings: the demand for each competitor, not a business’s revenue. Compare it across markets with its index, where 100 is the U.S. figure for the same type; the real estate types, whose line is all housing costs, show the index only. How the score works.
| Business type | Score | Rank among counties | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Spending per listing vs. U.S. (100) | Official establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convenience stores | 72 | #363 of 2,261 | 726 | 6.2 | $10.8M | 137 | 280 |
| Funeral homes | 71 | #209 of 1,472 | 116 | 1.0 | $1.4M | 213 | 60 |
| Gas stations | 70 | #393 of 2,358 | 705 | 6.0 | $4.6M | 191 | 572 |
| Roofing and gutters | 67 | #200 of 1,177 | 229 | 2.0 | $17M | 201 | 253 |
| Oil change and quick lube | 66 | #102 of 479 | 70 | 0.6 | $18.9M | 137 | 76 |
| Tire shops | 66 | #368 of 1,530 | 395 | 3.4 | $3.3M | 134 | 188 |
| Car washes and detailing | 65 | #339 of 1,451 | 409 | 3.5 | $3.2M | 128 | 185 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | 65 | #348 of 1,493 | 529 | 4.5 | $3.4M | 116 | 943 |
| Veterinarians | 65 | #377 of 1,485 | 421 | 3.6 | $3.3M | 121 | 371 |
| Grocery and convenience stores | 65 | #581 of 2,402 | 1,804 | 15.4 | $4.3M | 128 | 860 |
| Collision repair and body shops | 63 | #364 of 1,327 | 334 | 2.9 | $4M | 128 | 308 |
| Child care and preschools | 62 | #473 of 1,611 | 767 | 6.5 | $1.4M | 140 | 883 |
| Pet grooming and boarding | 61 | #442 of 1,461 | 477 | 4.1 | $2.9M | 115 | 303 |
| Home repair trades | 61 | #516 of 2,057 | 1,216 | 10.4 | $3.2M | 132 | 2,283 |
| Pet businesses | 61 | #609 of 2,200 | 1,363 | 11.6 | $1M | 116 | 803 |
| Grocery stores | 61 | #643 of 2,070 | 657 | 5.6 | $11.9M | 128 | 580 |
| HVAC and plumbing | 60 | #491 of 1,707 | 727 | 6.2 | $5.3M | 112 | 1,072 |
| Electricians | 59 | #374 of 1,160 | 260 | 2.2 | $15M | 125 | 958 |
| Pizza | 57 | #740 of 2,090 | 819 | 7.0 | $6.7M | 132 | 3,086 |
| Gyms | 56 | #678 of 1,792 | 1,134 | 9.7 | $1.5M | 118 | 578 |
| Home inspectors | 55 | #157 of 415 | 72 | 0.6 | Index only | 126 | 118 |
| Auto repair and car care | 54 | #1,028 of 2,401 | 4,514 | 38.5 | $293K | 109 | 1,898 |
| Barbershops | 53 | #629 of 1,356 | 718 | 6.1 | $1.9M | 102 | 81 |
| Fast food and sandwich shops | 53 | #1,010 of 2,222 | 1,531 | 13.1 | $3.6M | 118 | 3,086 |
| Auto repair shops | 53 | #1,053 of 2,378 | 2,741 | 23.4 | $482K | 108 | 1,358 |
| Pest control | 52 | #323 of 699 | 176 | 1.5 | $10.2M | 100 | 182 |
| Pet stores | 52 | #439 of 974 | 320 | 2.7 | $4.3M | 96 | 129 |
| Optometrists and eye care | 52 | #636 of 1,302 | 581 | 5.0 | $3M | 97 | 231 |
| Martial arts and dance studios | 51 | #626 of 1,334 | 816 | 7.0 | $2.1M | 106 | 532 |
| Physical therapy | 51 | #689 of 1,422 | 668 | 5.7 | $2.6M | 110 | 577 |
| Lawn, cleaning and pest control | 51 | #810 of 1,771 | 1,097 | 9.4 | $1.6M | 97 | 1,920 |
| Primary care and pediatrics | 50 | #827 of 1,656 | 790 | 6.7 | $2.2M | 125 | 2,821 |
| Urgent care and walk-in clinics | 49 | #170 of 325 | 101 | 0.9 | $17.4M | 71 | 86 |
| Hair salons | 49 | #1,233 of 2,339 | 3,023 | 25.8 | $457K | 106 | 847 |
| Chiropractors | 48 | #806 of 1,490 | 818 | 7.0 | $2.2M | 90 | 435 |
| Gyms, studios and classes | 47 | #1,200 of 2,088 | 2,551 | 21.8 | $684K | 103 | 1,110 |
| Laundromats | 43 | #471 of 785 | 225 | 1.9 | $11.1M | 89 | 117 |
| Bakeries and dessert shops | 43 | #1,174 of 1,889 | 1,294 | 11.0 | $4.3M | 103 | 1,228 |
| Nail salons | 42 | #905 of 1,328 | 796 | 6.8 | $1.7M | 104 | 574 |
| Clothing and shoe stores | 41 | #1,368 of 2,087 | 2,111 | 18.0 | $1.2M | 93 | 1,090 |
| Restaurants and cafes | 39 | #1,651 of 2,405 | 15,547 | 132.7 | $354K | 95 | 6,900 |
| Sit-down restaurants | 39 | #1,692 of 2,405 | 8,880 | 75.8 | $619K | 93 | 2,650 |
| Yoga, Pilates and fitness studios | 36 | #616 of 777 | 601 | 5.1 | $2.9M | 72 | 578 |
| House cleaning | 36 | #668 of 847 | 392 | 3.3 | $4.6M | 72 | 795 |
| Clothing, shoes and laundry | 36 | #1,669 of 2,210 | 3,237 | 27.6 | $774K | 88 | 1,384 |
| Dry cleaners | 35 | #395 of 507 | 191 | 1.6 | $13.1M | 84 | 177 |
| Salons, barbers and spas | 35 | #1,954 of 2,385 | 6,759 | 57.7 | $205K | 96 | 1,974 |
| Coffee shops and cafes | 33 | #1,654 of 2,063 | 1,998 | 17.1 | $2.8M | 74 | 1,123 |
| Doctors, dentists and clinics | 33 | #1,983 of 2,394 | 12,001 | 102.5 | $147K | 96 | 6,077 |
| Property management | 32 | #760 of 910 | 646 | 5.5 | Index only | 67 | 1,510 |
| Spas and skin care | 32 | #1,488 of 1,769 | 1,995 | 17.0 | $693K | 79 | 439 |
| Insurance agencies | 31 | #1,776 of 2,272 | 2,032 | 17.3 | $1.1M | 88 | 1,293 |
| Real estate agents and brokers | 30 | #2,027 of 2,176 | 5,499 | 46.9 | Index only | 80 | 2,942 |
| Mortgage brokers and lenders | 28 | #812 of 887 | 985 | 8.4 | Index only | 62 | 550 |
| Dentists and orthodontists | 28 | #1,702 of 1,886 | 2,226 | 19.0 | $790K | 80 | 1,927 |
| Real estate | 28 | #2,129 of 2,229 | 7,202 | 61.5 | Index only | 77 | 5,736 |
Household spending in San Diego County
What households here spend in a year on each line, in total and per household, with the index against the U.S. average (100).
| Spending line | A year, all households | Per household | Index vs. U.S. (100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1.3B | $1,128 | 118 |
| Gasoline and other fuels | $3.2B | $2,746 | 106 |
| Food away from home | $5.5B | $4,696 | 115 |
| Groceries | $7.8B | $6,677 | 106 |
| Personal care products and services | $1.4B | $1,180 | 117 |
| Child care and other personal services | $1.1B | $919 | 158 |
| Memberships, classes and admissions | $1.7B | $1,490 | 152 |
| Medical and dental services | $1.8B | $1,502 | 117 |
| Pets | $1.4B | $1,187 | 131 |
| Clothing, shoes and related services | $2.5B | $2,138 | 104 |
| Vehicle insurance | $2.3B | $1,922 | 98 |
| Home repairs, maintenance and insurance | $3.9B | $3,320 | 110 |
| Lawn care, cleaning and other household services | $1.8B | $1,531 | 108 |
| Rent and homeowner costs | $23.9B | $20,407 | 122 |
Household spending is estimated from the incomes of the households in each neighborhood, using what households at each income spent nationally in 2024, adjusted for the region. It counts what residents spend, wherever they spend it.
Population and households in San Diego County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 3,282,248−0.6% since 2020
- Households
- 1,171,278
- Median age
- 38.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 4,211 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 781
- Median household income
- $106,268+34.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $141,250
- Median home value
- $854,700
- Jobs located here
- 1,516,991
- Daytime population
- 3,269,716Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in San Diego County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the competitors on map listings by name and distance, for any of the 56 business types.
Or open the report at the center of San Diego County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardRelated markets
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- Santa Barbara County, CA443,701 people
Questions
How fast is San Diego County, CA growing?
Population estimates put San Diego County at 3,282,248 people in 2025, down 0.6% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 1,171,278 households. Median household income rose 34.6% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
How much do households in San Diego County, CA spend?
Households in San Diego County spend about $23.9B a year on rent and homeowner costs, $7.8B on groceries and $5.5B on food away from home. Set against the U.S., households in San Diego County spend the most on child care and other personal services (an index of 158, where 100 is the U.S. average) and the least on vehicle insurance (98).
Which business types have the highest market scores in San Diego County, CA?
The highest Groundwork market scores in San Diego County are for convenience stores (72), funeral homes (71) and gas stations (70). San Diego County ranks #363 of 2,261 scored counties for convenience stores.
How does San Diego County, CA compare with the U.S.?
The median household income in San Diego County is $106,268 a year, 32% above the U.S. median of $80,734. The population fell 0.6% from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S. The median home value is $854,700, against $332,700 for the U.S. For its number of households, San Diego County has the most map listings, relative to the U.S., for yoga, Pilates and fitness studios (2.1 times the U.S. rate) and the fewest for funeral homes (52% below the U.S. rate).
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. All 56 business types have a score in San Diego County, each ranked against other counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in San Diego County. It maps the competitors on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
All markets in California · Every U.S. market · How we measure
Screening a site or an acquisition in San Diego County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of San Diego County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.