Population 3,395 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown Carlsbad
Household size in Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.55 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.95 | 2.62 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.68 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.92 | 2.65 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.36 | +0.10 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Downtown Carlsbad are small: just 1.92 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.28 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5 | 41.1 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.4 | 42.4 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.2 | 43.4 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.4 | 43.7 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.9 | +2.6 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
At 39.4, the median age in Downtown Carlsbad is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in Carlsbad overall, where the median age is 43.7.
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 Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 8.9% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 7.9% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 8.6% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 7.0% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −11.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Downtown Carlsbad: 3.0% of households, against 11.6% 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 Downtown Carlsbad
Renters in Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 33.4% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 83.6% | 38.0% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 83.4% | 35.6% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 85.3% | 36.8% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +3.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown Carlsbad: 85.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over four in ten owners (42.6%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 7.8% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 8.0% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Downtown Carlsbad than nationally: 11.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1987 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1987 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1988 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1989 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Downtown Carlsbad are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Carlsbad as a whole, where the median home dates to 1989.
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 Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,203 | $1,598 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,308 | $1,730 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,761 | $2,330 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,119 | $2,871 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$916 | +$1,273 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Downtown Carlsbad pays $2,119 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Carlsbad overall ($2,871). Rent takes 42.2% of the typical renter's income, 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 Downtown Carlsbad
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.2% | 52.6% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.6% | 54.3% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.0% | 60.5% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.1% | 63.1% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.9 pts | +10.5 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Downtown Carlsbad (39.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Even so, the share is lower than in Carlsbad overall (63.1%).
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 Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.1% | 95.6% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.4% | 96.1% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.9% | 94.9% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.3% | 97.0% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Downtown Carlsbad is the same as the national rate: 89.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent. The rate is lower than in Carlsbad as a whole (97.0%).
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 Downtown Carlsbad
| Period | Downtown Carlsbad | Carlsbad | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 6.6% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 8.5% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.1% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 5.3% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.2 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown Carlsbad runs well above the national rate: 9.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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).
Downtown Carlsbad 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Carlsbad | 1.92 | 39.4 | 3.0% | 85.3% | 11.5% | 1979 | $2,119 | 39.1% | 89.3% | 9.8% |
| South Oceanside | 2.34 | 42.8 | 4.8% | 49.8% | 14.7% | 1965 | $2,502 | 43.9% | 93.8% | 3.7% |
| Fire Mountain | 2.61 | 38.3 | 9.7% | 62.7% | 8.6% | 1978 | $2,172 | 33.6% | 88.3% | 7.0% |
| Townsite | 2.40 | 40.1 | 7.2% | 72.6% | 19.9% | 1977 | $2,007 | 39.2% | 84.5% | 5.6% |
| East Side Capistrano | 2.90 | 39.4 | 10.6% | 65.5% | 7.4% | 1983 | $2,206 | 28.1% | 79.3% | 8.4% |
| Lake | 2.33 | 50.5 | 4.8% | 40.0% | 8.0% | 1980 | $2,200 | 29.3% | 88.8% | 7.6% |
| Ivey Ranch-Rancho del Oro | 2.51 | 37.1 | 9.2% | 47.7% | 6.5% | 1992 | $2,654 | 43.1% | 92.1% | 7.2% |
| San Luis Rey | 2.88 | 38.0 | 13.7% | 48.2% | 6.9% | 1987 | $2,523 | 28.5% | 85.4% | 4.6% |
| Peacock | 2.75 | 34.3 | 13.2% | 64.0% | 2.1% | 1990 | $2,761 | 36.1% | 90.5% | 5.2% |
| Guajome | 3.09 | 38.6 | 11.7% | 20.3% | 4.9% | 1989 | $3,150 | 42.3% | 94.1% | 4.7% |
| North Valley San Diego | 3.54 | 35.7 | 15.0% | 31.4% | 4.0% | 1988 | $2,588 | 29.9% | 81.1% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Southwest Saginaw, Saginaw, MI · Westhaven Trails, Madison, WI · Boynton Lakes Plaza, Boynton Beach, FL · Bradley Estates, Milwaukee, WI · West Willow, Ypsilanti, MI · West Leominster, Leominster, MA · Collingwood, Charlotte, NC · Colonial Hills, Lincoln, NE · Wedgewood, Tucker, GA · Wahneta, Winter Haven, FL
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 Downtown Carlsbad. 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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