El Cajon vs Oceanside
A side-by-side comparison of El Cajon and Oceanside: population, income, housing, and more.
El Cajon and Oceanside are places in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Oceanside has the higher population (172,542 vs 104,909 in El Cajon). Oceanside has the higher median household income ($93,724 vs $66,478 in El Cajon). Oceanside has the higher median home value ($702,000 vs $632,800 in El Cajon).
Population, income & housing
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 104,909 | 172,542 |
| Median age | 35.5 yrs | 38.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $66,478 | $93,724 |
| Median home value | $632,800 | $702,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,790 | $2,207 |
| Housing units | 35,264 | 66,744 |
| Homeownership rate | 41.1% | 58.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 34.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% | 5.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,186 → 104,909 (+1.7%) | 175,622 → 172,542 (-1.8%) |
| Median household income | $55,309 → $66,478 (+20.2%) | $72,697 → $93,724 (+28.9%) |
| Median home value | $445,600 → $632,800 (+42.0%) | $492,600 → $702,000 (+42.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,339 → $1,790 (+33.7%) | $1,753 → $2,207 (+25.9%) |
El Cajon
103,186104,909
$55,309$66,478
$445,600$632,800
$1,339$1,790
Oceanside
175,622172,542
$72,697$93,724
$492,600$702,000
$1,753$2,207
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7.4% | 5.8% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.5% | 15.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 15.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 13.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11.8% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.9% | 13.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 75 and over | 5.2% | 6.8% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 53.3% | 43.3% |
| Black or African American | 6.0% | 3.9% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 4.5% | 7.2% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 5.7% | 5.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 29.1% | 38.5% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 15.6% | 13.5% |
| High school graduate | 28.9% | 18.8% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.3% | 33.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.3% | 22.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.9% | 12.2% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 72.8% | 71.4% |
| Carpooled | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Public transit | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Walked | 2.5% | 1.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 10.2% | 14.8% |
| Other means | 2.1% | 2.4% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 38.7% | 52.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.3% | 12.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.0% | 7.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 17.7% | 14.1% |
| 20 or more units | 24.5% | 9.3% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.0% | 4.2% |
Poverty & households
| El Cajon | Oceanside | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 20.0% | 8.1% |
| Average household size | 2.99 | 2.79 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 30 |
| Median year structure built | 1974 | 1984 |
Full profiles
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