Population 8,028 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Alta Vista
Household size in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.98 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 4.14 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 4.02 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.71 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.27 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Alta Vista is a place of big households: 3.71 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.98, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only three of San Diego's 81 neighborhoods have larger households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.1 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.4 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.6 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Alta Vista is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.0, a much bigger shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Alta Vista (10.1%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the San Diego area. The single-parent share has fallen 4.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Alta Vista
Renters in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.9% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.1% of households in Alta Vista rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About a quarter of owners (25.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 3.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Few San Diego neighborhoods have a lower share of renters: only six of 81.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.8% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Alta Vista than nationally: 5.6%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The San Diego area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.5 points, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Alta Vista was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the northwest.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,553 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,488 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,978 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,443 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$891 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Alta Vista runs $2,443 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $891 a month since 2006–10, up 57%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 33.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Alta Vista
Bachelor's degrees in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.0% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.8% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.3% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Alta Vista: 24.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 2.9 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.5% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.8% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.5% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.5% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Alta Vista never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 1.0 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Alta Vista
| Period | Alta Vista | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Alta Vista runs below the national rate: 3.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Only seven of San Diego's 81 neighborhoods have lower unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.2 points, mirroring the country.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Alta Vista compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Vista | 3.71 | 44.6 | 10.1% | 23.1% | 5.6% | 1978 | $2,443 | 24.3% | 83.5% | 3.5% |
| Valencia Park | 3.45 | 38.0 | 12.2% | 44.6% | 6.0% | 1970 | $1,890 | 18.6% | 72.3% | 6.3% |
| Paradise Hills | 3.52 | 36.1 | 16.4% | 39.7% | 8.1% | 1972 | $2,246 | 21.8% | 84.7% | 4.2% |
| Lincoln Park | 3.70 | 32.1 | 25.3% | 64.5% | 4.6% | 1976 | $1,824 | 12.1% | 68.5% | 7.5% |
| Encanto | 3.51 | 36.9 | 20.4% | 34.6% | 2.9% | 1973 | $2,039 | 22.3% | 80.8% | 6.7% |
| Emerald Hills | 3.66 | 31.7 | 27.4% | 41.3% | 6.0% | 1965 | $1,784 | 26.5% | 84.5% | 7.2% |
| Bay Terraces | 3.36 | 41.7 | 12.0% | 36.2% | 4.8% | 1981 | $2,254 | 28.7% | 88.8% | 5.5% |
| Chollas View | 4.09 | 32.5 | 25.0% | 71.1% | 9.7% | 1964 | $1,888 | 10.6% | 65.6% | 8.7% |
| Sky Line | 3.52 | 39.1 | 11.7% | 14.2% | 2.7% | 1968 | $2,109 | 20.5% | 85.2% | 6.2% |
| Mountain View San Diego | 3.52 | 33.2 | 21.7% | 67.5% | 5.0% | 1973 | $1,729 | 15.7% | 65.7% | 10.6% |
| Jomacha-Lomita | 3.69 | 37.8 | 11.5% | 21.0% | 2.3% | 1966 | $2,486 | 24.7% | 84.9% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Ukrainian Village, Parma, OH · Elwood, East Northport, NY · Downtown Marion, Marion, OH · N Albuquerque Acres, Albuquerque, NM · Sundance, Buckeye, AZ · Fishers Landing East, Vancouver, WA · Downtown Little Rock, Little Rock, AR · Campus Farm, Tucson, AZ · Ardenwood, Fremont, CA · Colonial Heights, Yonkers, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Alta Vista. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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