Los Angeles vs San Diego

Side-by-side comparison of Los Angeles, CA and San Diego, CA — population, economics, education, health, hospitals, climate, and cost of living from official U.S. government data.

Los Angeles
California
Pop: 3.8M
Income: $90,112
Home: $834,200
San Diego
California
Pop: 1.4M
Income: $106,268
Home: $854,700

Population

Population
3.8M
Population
1.4M
Median Age
38.2 yrs
Median Age
37.3 yrs
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A
10-Year Pop Growth
N/A

Economics

Median Household Income
$90,112
Median Household Income
$106,268
Median Home Value
$834,200
Median Home Value
$854,700
Median Rent
$1,954
Median Rent
$2,246
Poverty Rate
13.7%
Poverty Rate
10.3%
Unemployment Rate
7.3%
Unemployment Rate
5.8%
10-Year Income Growth
N/A
10-Year Income Growth
N/A

Education & Work

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
36%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
43.2%
Work From Home
17.1%
Work From Home
18.7%
Public Transit
3.9%
Public Transit
1.9%

Health (CDC PLACES)

Frequent Mental Distress
16.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.3%
Obesity
26.5%
Obesity
25.3%
Physical Inactivity
26.2%
Physical Inactivity
20.6%
Smoking
11.2%
Smoking
10%
Lack of Health Insurance
11.7%
Lack of Health Insurance
8.7%

Healthcare

Hospitals
88
Hospitals
22
Avg Hospital Rating
2.7/5
Avg Hospital Rating
3.9/5

Demographics

Los Angeles Population
White 30.9%
African American 7.7%
Asian 15.2%
San Diego Population
White 48.4%
African American 4.7%
Asian 12.4%

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Data Sources

Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022 5-year estimates). Health data from the CDC PLACES (2023). Hospital data from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020). Cost of living from BEA Regional Price Parities via FRED.