Population 34,267 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Serra Mesa
Household size in Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.47 | 2.87 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.98 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.46 | 2.99 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.46 | 2.86 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The average household in Serra Mesa has 2.46 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size is little changed from 2006–10, while 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 Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.2 | 36.1 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.9 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.2 | 37.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.0 | 39.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.2 | +2.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.0, Serra Mesa is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and 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 Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 11.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 11.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Serra Mesa (10.1%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The San Diego area as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share has risen 1.9 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 Serra Mesa
Renters in Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.3% | 44.1% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 56.0% | 46.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.0% | 46.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 62.1% | 45.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Serra Mesa: 62.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over a quarter of owners (26.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the center. The renter share has risen 9.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Serra Mesa: 6.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The San Diego area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.7 points, as it has nationally.
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 Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1985 | 1978 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Serra Mesa is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,584 | $1,408 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,796 | $1,481 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,255 | $1,868 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,078 | $2,468 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,494 | +$1,061 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Serra Mesa pays $3,078 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,494 a month since 2006–10, up 94%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.2% 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 southwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Serra Mesa
Bachelor's degrees in Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5% | 33.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.3% | 34.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.3% | 38.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.9% | 42.8% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +17.4 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Serra Mesa: 55.9% 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 17.4 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.7% | 84.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.5% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.4% | 87.3% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 89.0% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Serra Mesa: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.5 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 Serra Mesa
| Period | Serra Mesa | San Diego area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 7.9% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 9.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 6.1% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 6.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.7%, unemployment in Serra Mesa is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.6 points, a smaller shift than nationally. 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).
Serra Mesa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serra Mesa | 2.46 | 35.0 | 10.1% | 62.1% | 6.9% | 1989 | $3,078 | 55.9% | 95.2% | 5.7% |
| Bird Land | 2.71 | 38.3 | 10.9% | 58.8% | 9.3% | 1970 | $2,540 | 43.2% | 89.4% | 6.9% |
| Mission Valley East | 1.86 | 36.9 | 2.0% | 75.7% | 8.7% | 1993 | $2,700 | 40.3% | 96.7% | 7.7% |
| Grantville | 2.08 | 34.2 | 6.5% | 69.6% | 10.5% | 1990 | $2,514 | 48.5% | 94.6% | 7.4% |
| Linda Vista | 2.70 | 38.1 | 9.1% | 51.5% | 6.2% | 1972 | $2,244 | 41.4% | 86.4% | 5.7% |
| Normal Heights | 1.95 | 37.6 | 7.3% | 69.6% | 4.6% | 1966 | $2,000 | 52.5% | 93.6% | 3.7% |
| Kearny Mesa | 2.06 | 37.2 | 4.8% | 65.8% | 8.5% | 2002 | $2,641 | 57.8% | 92.3% | 8.9% |
| Kensington | 2.25 | 49.3 | 9.8% | 35.6% | 5.1% | 1948 | $2,768 | 71.7% | 98.6% | 8.3% |
| University Heights | 1.76 | 38.5 | 5.0% | 77.1% | 8.3% | 1974 | $2,044 | 60.2% | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| Clairemont Mesa | 2.50 | 41.9 | 7.0% | 42.2% | 5.7% | 1968 | $2,481 | 49.6% | 91.9% | 4.2% |
| Allied Gardens | 2.79 | 37.8 | 14.0% | 39.0% | 6.4% | 1978 | $2,744 | 59.8% | 95.4% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Millard, Omaha, NE · Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA · Southwest, Reno, NV · Rosedale, Queens, NY · Montecito Heights, Los Angeles, CA · Montebello, Denver, CO · La Habra City, La Habra, CA · South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA · Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA · Eastside Enact, Tacoma, WA
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 Serra Mesa. 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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