Population 46,308 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mission Bay
Household size in Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.16 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.42 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.29 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.03 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Mission Bay are large by national standards, averaging 3.03 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.16, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.1 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.6 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.2 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.7 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.5 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Mission Bay is 37.7 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.1, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the center.
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 Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Mission Bay as they are nationally: 10.9%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 1.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Mission Bay
Renters in Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.0% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 51.2% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.2% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.9% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Mission Bay than nationally: 48.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 28.5% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share has fallen 3.1 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 Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Mission Bay: 11.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Mission Bay is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1988, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the north 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 Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,354 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,382 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,745 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,528 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,174 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Mission Bay runs $2,528 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,174 a month since 2006–10, up 87%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 35.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Mission Bay
Bachelor's degrees in Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.0% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.9% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.8% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a third of adults 25 and older in Mission Bay (36.8%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in the wider San Diego area (42.8%). The share with a degree is up 6.8 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 Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.6% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.1% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.8% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Mission Bay never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.7 points, as it has 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 Mission Bay
| Period | Mission Bay | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Mission Bay than nationally: unemployment was 6.4%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.1 points, as it has 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).
Mission Bay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Bay | 3.03 | 37.7 | 10.9% | 48.9% | 11.5% | 1988 | $2,528 | 36.8% | 87.4% | 6.4% |
| Downtown Chula Vista | 2.68 | 37.7 | 17.0% | 73.8% | 7.2% | 1969 | $1,755 | 15.0% | 75.8% | 9.1% |
| Boal | 3.10 | 36.8 | 13.8% | 52.1% | 13.2% | 1965 | $1,953 | 15.1% | 76.2% | 13.4% |
| Terra Nova | 2.99 | 42.6 | 7.2% | 31.7% | 3.8% | 1980 | $3,175 | 33.3% | 90.5% | 9.1% |
| Palm City | 3.40 | 39.2 | 11.4% | 34.2% | 13.7% | 1975 | $2,528 | 15.8% | 77.9% | 6.5% |
| Lynwood Hills | 3.06 | 39.7 | 9.6% | 24.6% | 6.8% | 1977 | $2,659 | 32.3% | 88.7% | 3.8% |
| Egger Highlands | 2.93 | 35.7 | 15.7% | 59.3% | 6.7% | 1975 | $2,089 | 16.6% | 81.5% | 8.5% |
| Paradise Hills | 3.52 | 36.1 | 16.4% | 39.7% | 8.1% | 1972 | $2,246 | 21.8% | 84.7% | 4.2% |
| Sunbow | 3.30 | 42.0 | 4.7% | 39.9% | 8.6% | 1996 | $2,892 | 41.7% | 91.4% | 4.7% |
| Otay Mesa West | 3.56 | 44.6 | 9.0% | 27.1% | 4.9% | 1973 | $2,237 | 16.6% | 77.9% | 8.6% |
| Nestor | 3.60 | 33.1 | 19.3% | 58.0% | 9.1% | 1980 | $2,189 | 18.9% | 71.8% | 11.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Michael Way, Las Vegas, NV · St Charles, Waldorf, MD · St Albans, Queens, NY · Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA · Richmondtown, Staten Island, NY · Rancho Bernadino, San Diego, CA · Playa Vista, Los Angeles, CA · Park, Stockton, CA · North Torrance, Torrance, CA · North Cheyenne, Las Vegas, NV
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 Mission Bay. 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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