San Diego County comprises the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area,[9] which is the 17th most populousmetropolitan statistical area and the 18th most populousprimary statistical area in the United States.[10][11] San Diego County is also part of theSan Diego–Tijuana region, the largest metropolitan area shared between the United States and Mexico. From north to south, San Diego County extends from the southern borders ofOrange andRiverside counties to theMexico–U.S. border and themunicipalities ofTijuana andTecate inBaja California. From west to east, San Diego County stretches from the Pacific Ocean to its boundary withImperial County, which separated from it in 1907.
San Diego County has more than 70 miles (113 km) of coastline. This forms the most densely populated region of the county, which has a mildMediterranean tosemiarid climate and extensivechaparral vegetation, similar to the rest of the western portion ofSouthern California. Precipitation and temperature extremes increase to the east, with mountains that receive frost and snow in the winter.[12] These lushly forested mountains receive more rainfall than the average in Southern California, while the desert region of the county lies in arain shadow to the east, which extends into theDesert Southwest region of North America.
The area which is now San Diego County has been inhabited for more than 12,000 years by theKumeyaay (also known as 'Iipai-Tiipai or by the historical Spanish name Diegueño),Luiseño,Cupeño,Cahuilla, and theAcjachemen people and their local predecessors.[13]
San Diego County became part of the United States as a result of theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, ending theMexican–American War. This treaty designated the border to pass through a point one marine league south of the southernmost point of the port of San Diego, ensuring that the United States received all of the natural harbor of San Diego Bay.
San Diego County was one of the original counties of California, created at the time of California statehood in 1850.[17]: 221
At the time of its establishment in 1850, San Diego County was relatively large, and included all of southernmost California south and east ofLos Angeles County. It included areas of what are nowInyo andSan Bernardino Counties, as well as all of what are nowRiverside andImperial Counties.[17]: 221
During the later part of the 19th century, there were numerous changes in the boundaries of San Diego County, when various areas were separated to make up the counties mentioned above. The most recent changes were the establishments of Riverside County in 1893[17]: 207 and Imperial County in 1907.[17]: 113 Imperial County was also the last county to be established in California, and after this division, San Diego no longer extended from the Pacific Ocean to theColorado River, and it no longer covered the entire border between California and Mexico.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 4,526 square miles (11,720 km2), of which 4,207 square miles (10,900 km2) is land and 319 square miles (830 km2) (7.0%) is water.[18] The county is larger in area than the combined states of Rhode Island and Delaware.[19]
San Diego County has a varied topography. On its western side is more than 70 miles (113 km) of coastline.[20] Most of San Diego between the coast and theLaguna Mountains consists of hills,mesas, and smallcanyons. Snow-capped (in winter) mountains rise to the east, with theSonoran Desert farther to the east. TheCleveland National Forest is spread across the central portion of the county, whileAnza-Borrego Desert State Park occupies most of the northeast.
Although the county's western third is primarily urban, the mountains and deserts in the eastern two-thirds are primarily undevelopedbackcountry. Most of these backcountry areas are home to a native plant community known aschaparral. San Diego County contains more than 1,000,000 acres (4,000 km2) of chaparral, twice as much as any other California county.[21]
Periodically the area has been subject towildfires that force thousands to evacuate. The most recent are the December 2017Lilac Fire, theMay 2014 San Diego County wildfires, theWitch Creek Fire in 2007, and theCedar Fire in 2003. California defines a fire season in which fires are most likely to occur, usually between late July and late October (which are the driest months of the area). Signs posted in numerous spots of the county provide information on the level of threats from fires based on weather conditions.[citation needed]
Northern San Diego County is known asNorth County; the eastern suburbs are collectively known asEast County; the rural areas located further east and extending to the Imperial County line are known as theMountain Empire; and the southern suburbs, extending to the Mexican border, are collectively known as theSouth Bay or South County, includingSouth San Diego, an exclave of the city of San Diego which has no land connection to the rest of the city.
Under theKöppen climate classification system, the urban and suburban San Diego area straddles areas ofMediterranean climate (Csa) to the north andhot semi-arid climate (BSh) to the south and east.[22] As a result, it is often described as "arid Mediterranean" and "semi-arid steppe." Farther east, arid desert conditions prevail. Western San Diego's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters with most of the annual precipitation falling between November and March. The city has mild, mostly dry weather, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F (21 °C) and low rainfall (9–13 inches (23–33 cm) annually). Summer temperatures are generally warm, with average highs of 70–78 °F (21–26 °C) and lows of 55–66 °F (13–19 °C). Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) only four days a year. Most rainfall occurs from November to April. Winter temperatures are mild, with average high temperatures of 66–70 °F (19–21 °C) and lows of 50–56 °F (10–13 °C).
The climate in the San Diego area, like much of California, often varies significantly over short geographical distances resulting inmicroclimates. In San Diego's case this is mainly due to the city's topography (the Bay, and the numerous hills, mountains, and canyons). Frequently, particularly during the "May gray/June gloom" period, a thickmarine layer will keep the air cool and damp within a few miles of the coast, but will yield to bright cloudless sunshine approximately 5–10 miles (8.0–16.1 km) inland. This happens every year in May and June.[23] Even in the absence of June gloom, inland areas tend to experience much more significant temperature variations than coastal areas, where the ocean serves as a moderating influence. Thus, for example, downtown San Diego averages January lows of 48 °F (9 °C) and August highs of 77 °F (25 °C).[24] The city of El Cajon, just 10 miles (16 km) northeast of downtown San Diego, averages January lows of 42 °F (6 °C) and August highs of 89 °F (32 °C).[25] Julian, in the mountains, has an average January low of 29 °F (−2 °C) and August high of 85 °F (29 °C).[26] Borrego Springs, in the Colorado Desert, has an average January low of 43 °F (6 °C) and August high of 106 °F (41 °C).[27]
Rainfall along the coast averages about 10 inches (25 cm) of precipitation annually, which occurs mainly during the cooler months of December through April. Though there are few wet days per month during the rainy period, rainfall can be heavy when it does occur. However, the rainfall is greater in the higher elevations of San Diego. Some of the higher areas of San Diego, such asPalomar Mountain and theLaguna Mountains, receive 20–40 inches (51–102 cm) of rain per year, supporting lush forests similar to theSierra Nevada andCalifornia Coast Range. TheColorado Desert portion of the county lies to the east of the mountains, which receives the least amount of precipitation; Borrego Springs, the largest population center in the desert, averages only 5 inches (13 cm), with a high evaporation rate.
Source:NOAA (sun, relative humidity, and dew point 1961–1990)[29][30][31]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official precipitation records for San Diego were kept at the Weather Bureau Office in downtown from October 1850 to December 1859 at theMission San Diego and from November 1871 to June 1939 and a variety of buildings at downtown, and at San Diego Int'l (Lindbergh Field) since July 1939.[28] Temperature records, however, only date from October 1874. For more information on data coverage, seeThreadEx
Beach atBorder Field State Park; San Diego is on the right while Tijuana is on the left.Border fence betweenTijuana (right) andSan Diego's border patrol offices (left)
There are seven officialwilderness areas in San Diego County that are part of theNational Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). Four of these are integral parts of Cleveland National Forest, whereas three are managed by theBureau of Land Management (BLM). Some of these extend into neighboring counties (as indicated below):
In the 1847 census of San Diego County ordered byRichard Barnes Mason, it found that 2,287 people lived in the county, to include Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and African Americans.[41] Since at least 2014, San Diego County is the fifth most populous county in the United States.[42] In 2000, only about 3% of San Diego County residents left the county for work while 40,000 people commuted into the metropolitan area.[43]
San Diego County, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The2010 United States census reported that San Diego County had a population of 3,095,313. The racial makeup of San Diego County was 1,981,442 (64.0%)White, 158,213 (5.1%)African American, 26,340 (0.9%)Native American, 336,091 (10.9%)Asian (4.7% Filipino, 1.6% Vietnamese, 1.4% Chinese, 3.2% Other Asian), 15,337 (0.5%)Pacific Islander, 419,465 (13.6%) fromother races, and 158,425 (5.0%) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 991,348 people (32.0%).[57] Including those of mixed race, the total number of residents with Asian ancestry was 407,984.[58]
As of 2018, the Census Bureau estimates there were 3,343,364 people, 1,067,846 households, and 663,449 families residing in the county. The population density was 670 inhabitants per square mile (260/km2). There were 1,142,245 housing units at an average density of 248 per square mile (96/km2).
In 2000, there were 994,677 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.29.
As of 2000, 25.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.30% was from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
In 2018, the median household income was $70,824; most people spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs.[60] In August of that year, the median home price was $583,000; this is lower than the median home price in Los Angeles, and Orange counties.[61]
According to the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $47,067, and the median income for a family was $53,438. Males had a median income of $36,952 versus $30,356 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,926. About 8.9% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Much of the county's high-income residents are concentrated in the northern part of the city of San Diego. The San Diego metropolitan area has two places with both a population of over 50,000 and a per capita income of over $40,000:Carlsbad andEncinitas.
The county's largest continuous high-income urban area is a triangle from a first point on the northern edge of Carlsbad, a second point southeast ofEscondido, and a third point on the southern edge ofLa Jolla. It contains all or most of the cities of Carlsbad, Encinitas,Solana Beach,Del Mar, andPoway in addition to a substantial portion of northern San Diego.[62]
According to a point-in-time count taken for the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness, there were 8,576 homeless individuals on January 6, 2018, a 6% decrease from 2017. 3,586 were sheltered, and 4,990 were not. 4,912 (75.3%) were in the city of San Diego. North County Inland had 1,153 (13.4%), North County Coastal with 822 homeless (9.6%), 602 (7%) were found in South County, and 1,087 (12.7%) in East County.[63]
In 2014 according toPew Research Center, there are about 170,000 undocumented immigrants living in the region.[67] San Diego has been a destination fortrafficked minors from Mexico and the Philippines.[68] In 2018, theUnited States Border Patrol caught an average of over a hundred individuals crossing the borderillegally each day.[69]
San Diego County andImperial County are part of theSouthern Border Region, one of nine such regions. As a regional economy, the Southern Border Region is the smallest but most economically diverse region in the state. However, the two counties maintain weak relations and have little in common aside from their common border.[70] The region has a highcost of living.[71] This includes the highest cost of water in the United States.[72] As of 2018[update], San Diego County is within the top ten highest cost of rent in the United States;[73] this has led to people moving out of the county.[74]
San Diego County'sagriculture industry was worth $1.85 billion in 2013,[75] and is one of the top five egg producing counties in the United States.[76] In 2013, San Diego County also had the mostsmall farms of any county in the United States, and had the 19th largest agricultural economy of any county in the United States.[77] According to the San Diego Farm Bureau, San Diego County is the United States' leading producer ofavocados andnursery crops.[78] Until the early 20th century, San Diego County had a thrivingwine industry; however the 1916Charles Hatfield flood was the beginning of the end of the industry which included the destruction of the Daneri winery inOtay Valley.[79] As of October 2016[update], there are roughly one hundred vineyards and wineries in San Diego County.[80]
By the 2019–2020 statistical survey,California Department of Food & Agriculture (cdfa) found that the nursery trade dominated the county's agriculture by dollar value.[81] Second place went to avocado production.[81]
The county has been called "the Craft Beer Capital of America".[82] Brewing has been one of the fastest-growing business sectors with local breweries ranking among the 50 largest craft brewers in the United States and breweries that are consistently rated among the top breweries in the world.
Commercial operations to grow, test, or sell cannabis are not allowed in the unincorporated areas of the county. Companies must be licensed by the local agency to operate and each city or county may authorize none or only some of these activities. Local governments may not prohibit adults, who are in compliance with state laws, from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use.[83]
The region is host to the second largest cruise ship industry in California which generates an estimated $2 million annually from purchases of food, fuel, supplies, and maintenance services.[84] In 2008, thePort of San Diego hosted 252 ship calls and more than 800,000 passengers.[85]
The culture of San Diego is influenced heavily byAmerican andMexicancultures due to its position as aborder town, its largeHispanic population, and its history as part ofSpanish America andMexico. The area's longtime association with the U.S. military also contributes to its culture. Present-day culture includes many historical and tourist attractions, a thriving musical and theatrical scene, numerous notable special events, a varied cuisine, and a reputation as one of America's premier centers ofcraft brewing.
Currently, there is no NFL, NBA, or NHL team in the county. San Diego is the largest American city not to have won a championship in a "Big Four"[a] major professional league. The city does have one major league title to its name: the1963 American Football League (AFL) Championship won by the San Diego Chargers, when the AFL was an independent entity prior to theAFL–NFL merger in 1970. Due to its lackluster record on winning professional championships, and in some cases retaining professional teams, some San Diego sports fans believe there isa curse on professional sports in the city.
Thegovernment of San Diego County is defined and authorized under theConstitution of California,California law, and the Charter of the County of San Diego.[87] Much of thegovernment of California is in practice the responsibility of county governments such as the government of San Diego County. The County government provides countywide services such as elections and voter registration, law enforcement, jails, vital records, property records, tax collection, public health, and social services. In addition the County serves as the local government for all unincorporated areas.[88] Some chartered cities such asSan Diego andChula Vista provide municipal services such as police, public safety, libraries, parks and recreation, and zoning. Other cities such asDel Mar andVista arrange to have the County provide some or all of these services on a contract basis.
and numerous county departments and entities under the supervision of the Chief Administrative Officer such as the Probation Department. In addition, several entities of the government of California have jurisdiction conterminous with San Diego County, such as theSan Diego Superior Court.
Under its foundational Charter, the five-member elected Board of Supervisors is the county legislature. The board operates in a legislative, executive, andquasi-judicial capacity. As a legislative authority, it can pass ordinances for the unincorporated areas (ordinances that affect the whole county, like posting of restaurant ratings, must be ratified by the individual city). As an executive body, it can tell the county departments what to do, and how to do it. As a quasi-judicial body, the Board is the final venue of appeal in the local planning process.
As of January 2025, the members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors are:[89]
For several decades, ending in 2013, all five supervisors wereRepublican,white, graduates ofSan Diego State University, and had been in office since 1995 or earlier. The Board was criticized for this homogeneity, which was made possible because supervisors draw their own district lines and, until 2010, were not subject to term limits.[90][91]) That pattern was broken in 2013 when Slater-Price retired; she was replaced byDemocrat Dave Roberts, who won election to the seat in November 2012 and was inaugurated in January 2013.[92]
The San Diego County Code is thecodified law of San Diego County in the form ofordinances passed by the Board of Supervisors. The Administrative Code establishes the powers and duties of all officers and the procedures and rules of operation of all departments.
With its prominent military presence, San Diego County historically has been aRepublican Party stronghold, but in recent years it has come to favor theDemocratic Party. The Republican presidential nominee carried the county in every election from1948 through2004, except in1992, whenBill Clinton won a 37% plurality of the vote. In2008,Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win a majority of votes in San Diego County sinceWorld War II. Democratic candidates continued to carry the county in2012,2016,2020 and2024.Joe Biden's 2020 margin of victory in the county, 22.8%, was the largest for a Democratic candidate since1936, though it was narrower than Biden's statewide margin of 29.2%.
United States presidential election results for San Diego County, California[97][note 1]
The city of San Diego itself is more Democratic than the county average and has largely voted Democrat in each presidential election since 1992; certain areas and cities within the county are swing areas and have split their votes in post-2000 elections. The county's Republican population gradually increases the further one travels away from downtown; the Republican strongholds includeLa Jolla,Coronado, the regions ofNorth andEast County, the eastern backlands, and remote mountain communities such asJulian. While these areas have traditionally voted Republican, all also contain varied electorates of Democrats, Libertarians, and independents.
A unique feature of the political scene is the use ofGolden Hall, a convention facility next to San Diego's City Hall. The County Registrar of Voters rents the hall to distribute election results. Supporters and political observers gather to watch the results come in; supporters of the various candidates parade around the hall, carrying signs and chanting; candidates give their victory and concession speeches and host parties for campaign volunteers and donors at the site; and television stations broadcast live from the floor of the convention center.[98] The atmosphere at Election Central on the evening of election day has been compared to the voting portion of a political party national convention.[99]
On November 4, 2008, San Diego County voted 53.71% forProposition 8, which amended the California Constitution, effectively placing a ban on same-sex marriages; this proposition would restoreProposition 22, which was overturned by a ruling from theCalifornia Supreme Court. However, the City of San Diego, along with the North County coastal cities ofDel Mar,Encinitas, andSolana Beach voted against Proposition 8.La Mesa was a virtual tie for Prop. 8 support, whileCarlsbad supported the referendum by only a 2% margin.[100]
Within the county there are 24 public elementary school districts, 6 high school districts, and 12 unified school districts. There are also five community college districts.[106]
Several cities in the county maintain public library systems, including the city of San Diego itself. TheSan Diego County Library serves all other areas of the county. In 2010 the county library had 33 branches and two bookmobiles; circulated over 10.7 million books, CDs, DVDs, and other material formats; recorded 5.7 million visits to library branches; and hosted 21,132 free programs and events. The San Diego County Library is one of the 25 busiest libraries in the nation as measured by materials circulated.[107][108]
San Diego is the headquarters of theU.S. Navy's Eleventh Naval District and is the Navy's principal location for West Coast and Pacific Ocean operations.[110]Naval Base San Diego is principal home to the Pacific Fleet (although theheadquarters is located inPearl Harbor).NAS North Island is located on the north side ofCoronado, and is home to Headquarters for Naval Air Forces and Naval Air Force Pacific, the bulk of the Pacific Fleet's helicopter squadrons, and part of the West Coastaircraft carrier fleet.
San Diego County is served by many newspapers. The major regional paper isThe San Diego Union-Tribune, also known asU-T San Diego or just "The U-T" by locals, is ranked 23rd in the country (by daily circulation) as of March 2013.[112] TheUnion-Tribune serves both San Diego County and neighboringImperial County. The formerNorth County Times, based in Escondido and serving portions of Riverside County andNorth County, was purchased by the Union-Tribune in 2012 and closed down. For about a year after absorbing the North County Times the Union-Tribune published a North County edition,[113] but the regional edition was later abandoned.[114] TheLos Angeles Times is also delivered in portions of the county. Many of the area's cities, towns and neighborhoods have their own local newspapers, such as theCoronado Eagle; theUnion-Tribune acquired eight local weekly publications in 2013 and has continued to publish them as independent local newspapers, including theLa Jolla Light.[114] TheSan Diego Daily Transcript reports business and legal news. Privately-published papers, like theMilitary Press Newspaper and theNavy Dispatch, serve the military community both on and off base.
North County communities. Coastal cities are in dark blue, unincorporated coastal community is in light blue. Inland cities are in dark yellow, unincorporated inland communities are in light yellow. Parts of northern San Diego city are sometimes also considered part of North CountyEast County communities in red. In dark red are the cities ofEl Cajon,La Mesa,Lemon Grove, andSantee, which mark the western edge of East County. Unincorporated communities are in light red, includingAlpine,Jamul,Lakeside, andSpring ValleySouth Bay communities. The cities ofChula Vista,Imperial Beach andNational City are in dark orange. The unincorporated community ofBonita is in light orange.San Ysidro andOtay Mesa, neighborhoods of the city of San Diego, are in pink.
San Diego County has 18 federally recognizedIndian reservations, more than any other county in the United States.[116] Although they are typical in size to other Indian reservations in California (many of which are termed "Rancherías"), they are relatively small by national standards,[citation needed] and all together total 200.2 sq mi (519 km2) of area.
SomeCDPs andunincorporated communities of San Diego County have explored incorporating as cities/towns in the past (California makes no legal distinction between the titles of "city" and "town", allowing communities that incorporate to chose their designation,[142] though there has never been an incorporated town in San Diego County).Alpine,Bonita,Fallbrook,Lakeside,Ramona,Rancho Santa Fe andSpring Valley have each been tied to various incorporation studies, organized efforts and discussions in the past.[143][144] Some of these past efforts have culminated in ballot initiatives. Voters in Fallbrook previously rejected incorporation in 1981 and 1987.[145] Rancho Santa Fe residents also rejected incorporation in 1987.[146] Among the existing cities of San Diego County, some had multiple failed incorporation efforts before ultimately succeeding in becoming a city.Lemon Grove, for example, saw incorporation measures fail in 1955, 1958 and 1964 before a successful incorporation vote in 1977.[147] Other cities have seen incorporation success thanks to mergers of neighboring unincorporated communities.Encinitas, for example, became an incorporated city through a consolidated effort between the then-unincorporated communities ofCardiff-by-the-Sea,Leucadia, Encinitas andOlivenhain in 1986.[148] Encinitas andSolana Beach in 1986 are the most recent examples of successful campaigns for incorporation within the County of San Diego.
^Hughes, Charles (Summer 1975). Hughes, James E. (ed.)."The Decline of Californios".The Journal of San Diego History.21 (3). RetrievedSeptember 25, 2023.During this period the population of San Diego more than tripled, despite its remoteness from the gold felds. In 1847 the military governor of California, William B. Mason. ordered a census taken in San Diego County. Captain D. C. Davis of the Mormon Volunteers carried out this order and reported a total of 248 white men, women, and children within the county. He set the total population of the county at 2,287 including whites, "tame" Indians, "wild" Indians, Sandwich Islanders, and Negroes.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^Sheldon X. Zhang; Karen J. Bachar; John Picarelli; Yang Qin; Irma Cordova; Manuel Enrique; Cristina Juarez; Adan Ortiz; Maria Stacey (November 2012).Looking for a Hidden Population: Trafficking of Migrant Laborers in San Diego County(PDF) (Report). San Diego State University. pp. 16–17. RetrievedSeptember 12, 2018 – via United States Department of Justice.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Tables B01003 and B19025.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
^abU.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
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