The short answer is in the Census numbers. The median home in Encinitas is valued at $1,466,000, about 1.9 times the San Diego County median ($791,600); Solana Beach is $1,934,700 (2.4 times), and Del Mar tops the survey's scale at $2 million or more. Households earn more here too: the median household income is $150,471 in Encinitas and $192,845 in Del Mar, against $102,285 countywide. Oceanside is the one coastal city here below the county median home value ($702,000).
North County by the numbers
| Place | Median home value | Median rent | Median household income | Owner-occupied | Median age | 65 and older | Average commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solana Beach | $1,934,700 | $3,022 | $150,820 | 68% | 47.9 | 24% | 22 min |
| Del Mar | $2 million or more | $3,377 | $192,845 | 54% | 55.5 | 33% | 22 min |
| Encinitas (incl. Cardiff) | $1,466,000 | $2,730 | $150,471 | 66% | 43.0 | 20% | 24 min |
| Carlsbad | $1,156,900 | $2,678 | $139,326 | 63% | 42.8 | 18% | 28 min |
| Oceanside | $702,000 | $2,207 | $93,724 | 58% | 38.1 | 16% | 30 min |
| San Diego County | $791,600 | $2,154 | $102,285 | 54% | 37.1 | 15% | 26 min |
| California | $695,400 | $1,956 | $96,334 | 56% | 37.6 | 15% | 29 min |
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates, data profiles DP03, DP04 and DP05 (home value of owner-occupied units, gross rent, household income in 2023 dollars, share of occupied homes owned, median age, share 65 and older, mean travel time to work). Cardiff is part of the City of Encinitas. The survey caps home values at $2,000,001, so Del Mar's real median may be higher.
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Is it a good place to live? What the numbers say about each town
- Del Mar: the oldest town here (median age 55.5; 33% are 65 or older) and the smallest (3,921 people), with the shortest commute after Solana Beach (22 minutes).
- Solana Beach: the most homeowners (68% of homes are owned) and the shortest average commute (22 minutes).
- Encinitas: 61,585 people across Leucadia, Old Encinitas, New Encinitas, Olivenhain and Cardiff; 66% own their home.
- Carlsbad: the median home value is 1.5 times the county's and incomes 1.4 times; the commute averages 28 minutes.
- Oceanside: the biggest city here (172,542 people) and the only one below the county median home value; the youngest (median age 38.1).
What a page of numbers can't tell you: the beach you'd walk to, the train, the weather by town. Those are a day trip away: Solana Beach today · Encinitas today · Del Mar today · moving to North County · moving a parent here.
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Questions people ask
Why is Encinitas so expensive?
By the Census Bureau's 2019-2023 survey, the median home in Encinitas is valued at $1,466,000, about 1.9 times the San Diego County median, and the median household earns $150,471 against $102,285 countywide.
Why is Del Mar so expensive?
Del Mar's median home value is at the top of the Census survey's scale ($2 million or more), and its median household income is $192,845, the highest of the North County coastal cities (ACS 2019-2023).
Is Solana Beach a good place to live?
By the numbers: 68% of homes are owner-occupied (the most of these towns), the average commute is 22 minutes (the shortest), and the median age is 47.9 (ACS 2019-2023).
What is the cost of living in Carlsbad?
The median home value is $1,156,900 and the median rent $2,678 a month, against $791,600 and $2,154 for San Diego County (ACS 2019-2023).
What is the median income in Solana Beach?
$150,820 a year is the median household income in Solana Beach, against $102,285 countywide (Census ACS 2019-2023). Encinitas is $150,471 and Del Mar $192,845.
Is Solana Beach expensive?
By the Census numbers, yes: the median home value is $1,934,700, about 2.4 times the San Diego County median ($791,600), and the median rent is $3,022 (ACS 2019-2023).
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