Population 8,173 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Darnall
Household size in Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.85 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.22 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.01 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.06 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Darnall are large by national standards, averaging 3.06 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.85, even as the national average fell.
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 Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.1 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.7 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.3 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.2 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Darnall is young: half of its residents are under 35.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 33.1 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +10.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Darnall: 23.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 10.4 points, even as the national share fell. Only three of San Diego's 81 neighborhoods have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Darnall
Renters in Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.9% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.2% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.4% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.5% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Darnall rent their homes (34.5%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the wider San Diego area (45.4%). Among homeowners, 41.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.5 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Darnall: just 2.3% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.8 points, in line with the national trend. Only one other San Diego neighborhood has a lower vacancy rate.
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 Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Darnall is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1964 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the northeast has the oldest housing.
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 Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,148 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,332 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,531 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,067 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$919 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Darnall runs $2,067 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the San Diego area overall ($2,468). Rent has climbed $919 a month since 2006–10, up 80%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 39.5% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Darnall
Bachelor's degrees in Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.6% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.6% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Darnall have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the center.
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 Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.6% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.3% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.7% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.6% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Darnall never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.0 points, in line with the national trend. Darnall has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of San Diego neighborhoods.
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 Darnall
| Period | Darnall | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.8%, unemployment in Darnall is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the San Diego area as a whole (6.1%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.3 points, as it has nationally.
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).
Darnall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darnall | 3.06 | 35.2 | 23.1% | 34.5% | 2.3% | 1968 | $2,067 | 23.7% | 80.6% | 4.8% |
| El Cerritos | 2.68 | 32.7 | 16.6% | 54.7% | 4.1% | 1973 | $2,181 | 45.5% | 89.5% | 4.2% |
| Rolando | 2.29 | 36.1 | 8.2% | 45.7% | 6.4% | 1963 | $1,879 | 47.2% | 93.5% | 5.3% |
| Oak Park | 3.21 | 34.6 | 12.3% | 51.2% | 3.2% | 1972 | $2,011 | 22.3% | 76.6% | 6.4% |
| College Area | 2.92 | 25.5 | 5.5% | 65.3% | 18.2% | 1969 | $2,237 | 53.7% | 95.9% | 9.1% |
| City Heights East | 3.37 | 32.6 | 20.4% | 80.1% | 6.6% | 1973 | $1,792 | 17.7% | 63.3% | 6.5% |
| Talmadge | 2.14 | 39.3 | 11.0% | 63.8% | 4.8% | 1965 | $2,244 | 48.6% | 86.7% | 5.2% |
| Ridgeview-Webster | 2.88 | 50.9 | 19.3% | 42.8% | 7.1% | 1960 | $1,934 | 25.3% | 84.1% | 12.7% |
| 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% |
| City Heights West | 3.01 | 34.1 | 18.3% | 72.3% | 6.0% | 1970 | $1,782 | 26.8% | 72.5% | 9.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Read Blvd East, New Orleans, LA · Kenton, Portland, OR · Westlake Village Area-Los Angeles, Westlake Village, CA · SouthWest Anaheim, Anaheim, CA · Prescott, Oakland, CA · Midtown Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA · Expo Park, Aurora, CO · East Central Westminster, Westminster, CO · Deep Creek West, Chesapeake, VA · Central Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
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 Darnall. 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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