Population 12,497 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Hillcrest: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Hillcrest
Household size in Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.60 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.72 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.84 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.64 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Hillcrest are small: just 1.64 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. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 1.60, even as the national average fell. Only five of San Diego's 81 neighborhoods have smaller 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 Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.0 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.0 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.4 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
At 39.0, the median age in Hillcrest is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.0, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the west.
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 Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.3% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.0% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Hillcrest: 4.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only seven of San Diego's 81 neighborhoods have a lower 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 Hillcrest
Renters in Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.8% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 70.1% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 74.5% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 70.9% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Hillcrest: 70.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 25.7% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share has fallen 1.9 points since 2006–10, 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 Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Hillcrest: 6.5% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across the San Diego area.
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 Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +15 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Hillcrest was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. The median year built has moved up from 1964 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,132 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,286 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,576 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,251 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,119 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Hillcrest runs $2,251 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 as a whole ($2,468). Rent has climbed $1,119 a month since 2006–10, up 99%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.1% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Hillcrest
Bachelor's degrees in Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 59.0% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 60.6% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 62.0% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 63.5% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Hillcrest: 63.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree is up 4.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.4% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.3% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.4% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Hillcrest: 97.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.2 points, in line with the national trend. Hillcrest has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five 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 Hillcrest
| Period | Hillcrest | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Hillcrest runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.5 points, a smaller shift than nationally. 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).
Hillcrest 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcrest | 1.64 | 39.0 | 4.1% | 70.9% | 6.5% | 1980 | $2,251 | 63.5% | 97.6% | 4.4% |
| University Heights | 1.76 | 38.5 | 5.0% | 77.1% | 8.3% | 1974 | $2,044 | 60.2% | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| Middletown | 1.75 | 45.3 | 4.4% | 59.6% | 13.2% | 1963 | $1,990 | 62.3% | 97.0% | 7.4% |
| Park West | 1.81 | 48.5 | 4.3% | 66.4% | 8.8% | 1968 | $2,143 | 60.1% | 94.4% | 3.8% |
| Mission Hills-San Diego | 2.37 | 46.6 | 7.2% | 39.8% | 7.7% | 1958 | $2,641 | 69.7% | 94.8% | 4.4% |
| Cortez Hill | 1.52 | 42.8 | 1.3% | 80.8% | 8.0% | 1983 | $1,975 | 61.4% | 93.5% | 4.1% |
| North Park San Diego | 1.92 | 36.1 | 6.1% | 69.4% | 7.3% | 1965 | $2,128 | 58.7% | 95.3% | 5.7% |
| Little Italy | 1.52 | 35.9 | 2.0% | 81.1% | 9.6% | 2005 | $2,800 | 76.9% | 94.3% | 4.0% |
| Mission Valley East | 1.86 | 36.9 | 2.0% | 75.7% | 8.7% | 1993 | $2,700 | 40.3% | 96.7% | 7.7% |
| Columbia San Diego | 1.69 | 45.5 | 2.4% | 34.3% | 14.5% | 1995 | $2,217 | 51.6% | 88.1% | 2.3% |
| Moreno Mission | 2.18 | 26.6 | 7.1% | 65.7% | 18.9% | 1979 | $2,710 | 57.8% | 95.8% | 7.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: McMurray-Huntingdon, Nashville, TN · Alderwood Manor, Lynnwood, WA · La Sierra Acres, Riverside, CA · Cheltenham, Chicago, IL · College Hill, Providence, RI · Highland Hills, Henderson, NV · Spenard, Anchorage, AK · Urbanizacion Puerto Nuevo, San Juan, PR · University District, Portland, OR · Mondawin-Walbrook, Baltimore, MD
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 Hillcrest. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.