About

Life in Bonita

Bonita is a community of 13,336 people in California. The median household income is $117,750, median rent runs about $2,234 per month, and median home values are around $962,800. The unemployment rate is 4.6%.

Bonita at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

44.1 yrs

Poverty Rate

7.5%

Foreign-Born

21.5%

Broadband Internet

91.6%

of households

Population Growth

+5.0%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Bonita$118,674
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Demographics21.5% foreign-born, most often from Mexico

Who lives in Bonita: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Bonita, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (46.6%), and 30.6% of residents speak Spanish at home.

Under 18

22.2%

of residents

65 and Older

25.0%

of residents

Households with Kids

31.0%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

26.2%

of households

Married Couples

54.1%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.83

people

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino48.6%
White34.3%
Asian12.1%
Two or more races3.1%
Black1.9%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Mexico46.6%
Philippines29.1%
Vietnam5.1%
Iran1.9%
Germany1.8%
Syria1.8%
Korea1.7%
Romania1.5%
Poland1.4%
Canada1.3%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only60.4%
Spanish30.6%
Tagalog/Filipino4.4%
Vietnamese1.1%
Arabic1.0%
Other Indo-European0.9%
Chinese0.5%
Other Asian/Pacific0.4%

Cost of Livingrent 9% above CA average

Rent, home values, and income in Bonita

In Bonita, rent runs 9% above the CA average, and home values are 31% above the CA average.

Median rent (per month)

Bonita$2,218
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Bonita$962,800
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

61.6%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

18.3%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

111.9

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$5,827

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

76.0%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1976

median year built

Vacant Homes

0.9%

of housing units

Home Value Trend

$847,617
$1,129,422
202120222023202420252026

Latest: $1,129,422 (September 2026)

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.9 pts below CA average

Unemployment in Bonita and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in San Diego County, which includes Bonita, is 0.9 percentage points lower than the CA average.

Unemployment rate

Bonita4.6%
California avg5.5%
US4.3%

Bonita: San Diego County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

4.6%
4%
3.3%
3.2%
9.2%
6.4%
3.4%
3.7%
4.3%
4.6%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

San Diego County (county-wide) · Annual averages

Bonita is less than 1% of San Diego County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

What Bonita Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care28.3%
Professional & business services14.0%
Arts, hospitality & food service9.7%
Retail9.3%
Public administration9.2%
Transportation & utilities5.6%
Manufacturing5.5%
Construction3.6%

City residents, wherever they work

Median Salary by Occupation · metro area

Management$134,250
Healthcare$115,750
Business & Finance$83,560
Education$65,350
Office & Admin$48,270
Production$45,570
Transportation$39,780
Sales$38,790

San Diego-Carlsbad, CA metro area

Commute23.9 min avg

How Bonita residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Bonita, most residents drive alone to work (77%), and 68% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone77.0%
Carpool3.9%
Public transit1.3%
Walk0.0%
Work from home15.7%
Other2.1%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min18.2%
15–29 min50.0%
30–44 min20.2%
45–59 min5.5%
60+ min6.0%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • San Diego International Airport (SAN)

    Major hub12.7M passengers boarded in 2025

    11 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 49% below national average

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in the area policed by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, which covers Bonita, runs 49% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

166.9

per 100,000 residents

Below average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

315.2

per 100,000 residents

Below average (1,552 national, 2025)

Policed by San Diego County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate)

Natural DisastersHigh Wind most common — 25 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Very High

99.7 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Inland flooding · Very HighWildfire · Very HighEarthquake · HighHeat wave · HighLandslide · High

San Diego County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In San Diego County, which includes Bonita, the most common type is high wind, with 25 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

High WindHeavy RainFloodDense FogWildfire

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202525Heavy Rain$110,000
202456High Wind$30.9M
202367High Wind$13,000
202292High Wind$11,000
202193High Wind$4.2M
202056High Wind$4.5M
201969High Wind$1.0M
201842High Wind$680,100

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

203 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

San Diego County, county-wide

Bonita is less than 1% of San Diego County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Air Quality67 median AQI — Moderate

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in San Diego County, which includes Bonita, is typically moderate — acceptable for most people, but can affect those unusually sensitive to air pollution.

Median AQI

67

Good Days

64

per year

Moderate Days

268

per year

Unhealthy Days

7

per year

San Diego County, county-wide

Bonita is less than 1% of San Diego County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Climate74°F summers, 47°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

Bonita has mild summers (avg high 74°F) and warm winters (avg low 47°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

68°/54°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

74°/64°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

74°/58°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

67°/47°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

11.0"

Annual Snowfall

0.0"

Hot Days/Year

5

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

0

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

33

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
30°40°50°60°70°80°90°2.5"Jan: 1.82" precipitationFeb: 2.33" precipitationMar: 1.39" precipitationApr: 0.67" precipitationMay: 0.27" precipitationJun: 0.05" precipitationJul: 0.06" precipitationAug: 0.01" precipitationSep: 0.09" precipitationOct: 0.36" precipitationNov: 0.57" precipitationDec: 1.58" precipitationJJan: high 68°F, low 47°FFFeb: high 67°F, low 48°FMMar: high 67°F, low 51°FAApr: high 68°F, low 54°FMMay: high 69°F, low 58°FJJun: high 71°F, low 61°FJJul: high 75°F, low 65°FAAug: high 77°F, low 66°F77°SSep: high 77°F, low 64°FOOct: high 75°F, low 59°FNNov: high 71°F, low 51°F46°DDec: high 67°F, low 46°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan68°F47°F1.82"
Feb67°F48°F2.33"
Mar67°F51°F1.39"
Apr68°F54°F0.67"
May69°F58°F0.27"
Jun71°F61°F0.05"
Jul75°F65°F0.06"
Aug77°F66°F0.01"
Sep77°F64°F0.09"
Oct75°F59°F0.36"
Nov71°F51°F0.57"
Dec67°F46°F1.58"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Bonita

Uninsured

5.9%

of residents

No hospitals inside Bonita's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 2.8 mi away · Chula Vista

Paradise Valley Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 3.7 mi away · National City

Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health Syste

Psychiatric · 8.1 mi away · La Mesa

Not rated

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity24.6%US 36.8%
Diabetes11.1%US 12.6%
High blood pressure31.2%US 37.1%
Current smoking8.1%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity20.7%US 26.6%
Depression18.9%US 23.0%
Asthma8.5%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year75.5%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education25.2:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in Bonita

Bonita's student/teacher ratio is 25.2:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 39.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

3

within city limits

Private Schools

2

within city limits

College Degree Rate

39.4%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

25.2:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near Bonita (within 15 miles)

San Diego State University

8.5 mi away

Public · 4-year · 35,377 students · in-state tuition $9,180 · 83% graduate · median earnings $73,494 (10 yrs after entry)

Southwestern College

2.3 mi away

Public · 2-year · 18,614 students · in-state tuition $1,356 · 31% graduate · median earnings $47,535 (10 yrs after entry)

San Diego Mesa College

12.9 mi away

Public · 2-year · 16,098 students · in-state tuition $1,154 · 23% graduate · median earnings $50,947 (10 yrs after entry)

Grossmont College

11 mi away

Public · 2-year · 12,163 students · in-state tuition $1,332 · 28% graduate · median earnings $45,404 (10 yrs after entry)

National University

13.1 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 10,794 students · in-state tuition $13,284 · 46% graduate · median earnings $73,988 (10 yrs after entry)

San Diego City College

8.2 mi away

Public · 2-year · 10,441 students · in-state tuition $1,154 · 21% graduate · median earnings $44,127 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Cabrillo National Monument, 12 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Bonita

Bonita has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Cabrillo National Monument (12 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Cabrillo National Monument

National Monument

12 mi away

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

National Historic Trail

85 mi away

Cities Near Bonita

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Bonita?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

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Bonita FAQ

Is Bonita, California affordable?⌄

Bonita's median rent is $2,218/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $118,674/year. Median home value is $962,800.

Is Bonita, California safe?⌄

Bonita is policed by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 167 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 315 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in Bonita, California?⌄

San Diego County, which includes Bonita, has an unemployment rate of 4.6%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in Bonita, California?⌄

The cost of living in Bonita is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $2,218/month and median household income is $118,674/year. The median home value is $962,800. About 62% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Bonita, California?⌄

The average commute in Bonita is 24 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from