Population 126,875 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in El Cajon
Household size in El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.91 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.06 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.07 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.01 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in El Cajon are large by national standards, averaging 3.01 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 2.91, 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 El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.0 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.7 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.0 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.1 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of El Cajon is 38.1 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The San Diego area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 35.0, as it has nationally.
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 El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.2% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in El Cajon than nationally: 13.0%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.1 points, mirroring the country.
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 El Cajon
Renters in El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 49.0% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 53.2% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.9% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.7% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in El Cajon than nationally: 49.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 35.4% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in El Cajon: just 4.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. El Cajon has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five California cities.
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 El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in El Cajon run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the southwest 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 El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,178 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,246 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,546 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,021 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$843 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in El Cajon pays $2,021 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in the San Diego area overall ($2,468). Rents are up $843 a month from 2006–10, a 72% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 39.6% 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 El Cajon
Bachelor's degrees in El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.6% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.0% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in El Cajon: 25.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.5 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest 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 El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.2% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.2% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.1% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.2% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in El Cajon never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 El Cajon
| Period | El Cajon | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.6% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in El Cajon runs well above the national rate: 9.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 1.3 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
El Cajon compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Cajon | 3.01 | 38.1 | 13.0% | 49.7% | 4.7% | 1975 | $2,021 | 25.0% | 85.2% | 9.3% |
| Bostonia | 2.97 | 36.9 | 15.1% | 55.4% | 6.1% | 1975 | $2,300 | 22.8% | 88.8% | 8.4% |
| Rancho San Diego | 2.88 | 45.8 | 4.7% | 25.2% | 6.2% | 1984 | $2,573 | 43.9% | 93.4% | 8.0% |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix | 2.80 | 45.6 | 12.6% | 22.8% | 5.9% | 1968 | $2,402 | 49.7% | 94.8% | 5.2% |
| Lakeside | 3.04 | 39.7 | 12.3% | 31.2% | 5.6% | 1979 | $2,066 | 27.0% | 91.6% | 5.6% |
| Santee | 2.81 | 40.5 | 7.8% | 27.7% | 4.2% | 1983 | $2,490 | 35.3% | 92.8% | 4.5% |
| Spring Valley | 3.18 | 39.1 | 12.5% | 38.5% | 3.8% | 1977 | $2,209 | 31.4% | 90.7% | 9.7% |
| La Mesa | 2.47 | 38.3 | 9.8% | 51.1% | 5.8% | 1968 | $2,134 | 40.9% | 94.6% | 6.1% |
| La Presa | 3.22 | 37.4 | 11.6% | 33.3% | 4.9% | 1975 | $2,048 | 25.3% | 85.5% | 7.6% |
| Lemon Grove | 3.25 | 36.6 | 12.8% | 46.9% | 4.7% | 1966 | $2,290 | 20.1% | 89.0% | 6.1% |
| Jamul | 3.19 | 45.2 | 5.4% | 9.1% | 6.5% | 1985 | $2,595 | 30.8% | 91.6% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lakewood, NJ · Lakeland, FL · Lawton, OK · Lawrenceville, GA · Lancaster, PA · Lawrence, KS · Lacey, WA · Lafayette, IN · Lafayette, LA · Lansing, MI
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 El Cajon. 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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