Population 50,694 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Poway
Household size in Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.94 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.04 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.07 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.94 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Poway are large by national standards, averaging 2.94 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home.
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 Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.7 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.7 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.3 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Poway skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.3, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.3, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northeast.
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 Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 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 Poway: 7.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 0.9 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 Poway
Renters in Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.5% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.0% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.0% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.9% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Poway is largely a place of homeowners: only 23.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 28.9% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northeast.
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 Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.3% of homes in Poway are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Poway 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 Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Poway are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the west.
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 Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,606 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,604 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,957 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,738 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,131 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Poway runs $2,738 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,131 a month from 2006–10, a 70% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the center.
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 Poway
Bachelor's degrees in Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.5% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 46.3% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.5% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 54.3% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.8 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Poway: 54.3% 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. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 8.8 points, 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 Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.9% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.7% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.5% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.3% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Poway is above the national rate: 94.3% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. Poway has a higher share of high school graduates than most California cities.
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 Poway
| Period | Poway | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Poway is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the San Diego area overall (6.1%). 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).
Poway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poway | 2.94 | 42.3 | 7.2% | 23.9% | 4.3% | 1980 | $2,738 | 54.3% | 94.3% | 5.2% |
| Rancho Santa Fe | 2.69 | 49.0 | 8.3% | 11.1% | 24.0% | 1986 | $3,462 | 74.3% | 98.5% | 5.6% |
| Santee | 2.81 | 40.5 | 7.8% | 27.7% | 4.2% | 1983 | $2,490 | 35.3% | 92.8% | 4.5% |
| Morena | 3.18 | 45.3 | 8.5% | 10.6% | 4.4% | 1987 | $1,630 | 22.5% | 87.6% | 7.4% |
| Lakeside | 3.04 | 39.7 | 12.3% | 31.2% | 5.6% | 1979 | $2,066 | 27.0% | 91.6% | 5.6% |
| Ramona | 3.07 | 41.7 | 9.7% | 22.9% | 5.0% | 1985 | $2,214 | 28.8% | 86.6% | 4.1% |
| Bostonia | 2.97 | 36.9 | 15.1% | 55.4% | 6.1% | 1975 | $2,300 | 22.8% | 88.8% | 8.4% |
| Del Mar | 2.37 | 50.6 | 5.1% | 28.2% | 15.1% | 1975 | $3,227 | 84.3% | 98.5% | 4.1% |
| Solana Beach | 2.28 | 50.4 | 6.2% | 31.9% | 11.6% | 1978 | $3,125 | 72.5% | 97.5% | 3.3% |
| El Cajon | 3.01 | 38.1 | 13.0% | 49.7% | 4.7% | 1975 | $2,021 | 25.0% | 85.2% | 9.3% |
| Cardiff By The Sea | 2.56 | 42.6 | 4.6% | 38.5% | 12.0% | 1977 | $3,075 | 72.1% | 94.4% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Yorktown, VA · San Benito, TX · St. Louis Park, MN · Sun City, AZ · Tuckahoe, VA · Urbana, IL · Wayne, NJ · Wheaton, MD · Irondequoit, NY · Hammond, LA
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 Poway. 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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