Los Angeles County vs San Diego County
A side-by-side comparison of Los Angeles County and San Diego County: population, income, housing, and more.
Los Angeles County and San Diego County are counties in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Los Angeles County has the higher population (9,848,406 vs 3,282,782 in San Diego County). San Diego County has the higher median household income ($102,285 vs $87,760 in Los Angeles County). San Diego County has the higher median home value ($791,600 vs $783,300 in Los Angeles County).
Population, income & housing
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,848,406 | 3,282,782 |
| Median age | 37.9 yrs | 37.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $87,760 | $102,285 |
| Median home value | $783,300 | $791,600 |
| Median gross rent | $1,893 | $2,154 |
| Housing units | 3,624,084 | 1,240,607 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.1% | 54.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.5% | 42.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 6.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,081,570 → 9,848,406 (-2.3%) | 3,316,073 → 3,282,782 (-1.0%) |
| Median household income | $68,044 → $87,760 (+29.0%) | $78,980 → $102,285 (+29.5%) |
| Median home value | $583,200 → $783,300 (+34.3%) | $563,700 → $791,600 (+40.4%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,460 → $1,893 (+29.7%) | $1,658 → $2,154 (+29.9%) |
Los Angeles County
10,081,5709,848,406
$68,044$87,760
$583,200$783,300
$1,460$1,893
San Diego County
3,316,0733,282,782
$78,980$102,285
$563,700$791,600
$1,658$2,154
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.3% | 5.7% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.6% | 15.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.9% | 9.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.9% | 16.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.0% | 14.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 12.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.4% | 11.8% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.6% | 8.9% |
| 75 and over | 6.1% | 6.2% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 25.2% | 43.2% |
| Black or African American | 7.5% | 4.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 14.8% | 11.9% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Some other race | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 3.3% | 5.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 48.3% | 34.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 19.3% | 11.0% |
| High school graduate | 20.3% | 17.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 24.9% | 29.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | 22.8% | 25.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 12.7% | 16.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 66.4% | 67.6% |
| Carpooled | 9.3% | 8.2% |
| Public transit | 4.2% | 2.2% |
| Walked | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Worked from home | 15.2% | 16.9% |
| Other means | 1.9% | 1.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 47.6% | 50.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.5% | 10.1% |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.5% | 6.6% |
| 5 to 19 units | 15.5% | 13.4% |
| 20 or more units | 20.3% | 16.1% |
| Mobile home & other | 1.7% | 3.5% |
Poverty & households
| Los Angeles County | San Diego County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | 10.4% |
| Average household size | 2.85 | 2.74 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 31 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1965 | 1980 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in California
- Most densely populated — counties in California
- Highest median household income — counties in California
- Highest median home value — counties in California
- Most affordable home values — counties in California
- Highest median gross rent — counties in California
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in California
- Oldest by median age — counties in California
- Youngest by median age — counties in California
- Most college-educated — counties in California
- Highest poverty rate — counties in California
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in California
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in California
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in California
- Longest commutes — counties in California
- Shortest commutes — counties in California
- Largest households — counties in California
- Newest housing — counties in California
- Oldest housing — counties in California
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in California
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in California