San Diego County households are earning more than they were five years ago, but the rent is still winning that race. New census estimates show incomes inching up while housing costs climb just a bit faster, leaving many residents with less real breathing room. The result is a wider gap between paychecks and monthly housing bills, and more renters and homeowners classified as cost-burdened. That strain cuts across neighborhoods and demographics, from studio renters to families still wrestling with hefty mortgages.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, American Community Survey estimates show county household incomes rose roughly 27% between 2019 and 2024, while median monthly housing costs climbed about 29% over the same stretch. The paper reports a typical household income of $109,000 in 2024 and notes that combined housing costs – rent plus owner expenses – have outpaced wage gains. It is a tidy numerical summary of why affordability remains a stubborn local headache.
What The Federal Numbers Show
Federal data backs up the scope of the squeeze. The U.S. Census Bureau’s QuickFacts lists San Diego County’s 2020-2024 median household income in the low-$100,000s and shows median gross rent and owner costs running in the thousands per month. QuickFacts also puts the county’s population just under 3.3 million and the official poverty rate at around 10%. Those 5-year ACS estimates form the statistical backbone for the 2019-to-2024 comparisons used by local reporters and planners.
Who Is Getting Squeezed?
The Union-Tribune’s breakdown found that about 54% of renting households were spending more than 30% of their income on housing in 2024, while roughly 30% of homeowners were in the same cost-burdened boat. The county’s housing hub echoes that picture, noting that nearly half of households spend more than a third of their income on housing and that rental vacancies remain extremely low. For many families, those steeper housing bills land right alongside rising costs for food, transportation, and child care, leaving little leftover at the end of the month.
What Is Driving The Gap?
Economists point to a split labor market: strong gains at the top of the wage ladder help pull up headline income figures, while a large share of jobs in leisure, hospitality, and other lower-paid sectors keep many households stuck. University of San Diego economist Ryan Ratcliff described that pattern in an interview with KPBS, saying growth in tech, defense, and biotech has bolstered incomes even as service-sector wages have lagged. The upshot is that rising aggregate income numbers can hide widening inequality and persistent cost burdens for middle- and low-wage workers.
Population Shifts And The Local Ripple Effects
Census estimates put the county’s July 1, 2024, population at about 3.3 million, and analysts say out-migration of younger adults and some families has been driven in part by affordability pressures. Those departures come with real-world side effects: school enrollments, labor supply in lower-wage industries and commuting patterns are all shifting as people hunt for cheaper housing. Planners warn that these demographic changes complicate long-term choices about transit investments, school capacity and basic public services.
Policy Moves And What To Watch
Local officials have rolled out a mix of short-term fixes and longer-term strategies, from using county-owned land for affordable housing projects to streamlining permitting and steering funding toward preserving and building lower-cost units. The county’s housing hub lists those efforts and notes that the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) requires local jurisdictions to plan for roughly 171,685 new homes between 2021 and 2029. Most experts say hitting those targets and easing cost burdens will require steady policy follow-through and several years of sustained building, not a quick one-year surge…