La Presa is an unincorporated community in San Diego County, CA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

About

Life in La Presa

If you're considering La Presa, understand that you're looking at a stable, family-oriented inland community that offers better housing affordability than much of San Diego County—the median home price sits around $630,000 with solid homeownership options. The demographic makeup is diverse and family-heavy, with nearly half of households including children and strong Latino cultural presence. Economically, the median household income of $93,479 is solid, unemployment is reasonable at 4.6%, and the rental market is accessible at around $1,852 monthly if you're not buying.

La Presa at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

36.3 yrs

Poverty Rate

9.9%

Foreign-Born

22.9%

Broadband Internet

89.9%

of households

Population Growth

-4.1%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

La Presa$93,479
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Demographics22.9% foreign-born, most often from Mexico

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

In La Presa, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (58.3%), and 35.5% of residents speak Spanish at home.

Under 18

22.9%

of residents

65 and Older

15.1%

of residents

Households with Kids

34.9%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

19.7%

of households

Married Couples

48.5%

of households

Avg Household Size

3.16

people

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino50.3%
White23.5%
Black11.4%
Asian9.3%
Two or more races4.0%
Other1.1%

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

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Mexico58.3%
Philippines17.0%
Iraq3.6%
Cambodia2.3%
Japan2.1%
Afghanistan1.6%
England1.4%
Vietnam1.4%
Peru1.0%
Other Western Africa1.0%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only55.6%
Spanish35.5%
Tagalog/Filipino4.2%
Other Asian/Pacific1.4%
Other Indo-European1.2%
Arabic0.6%
Other0.5%
French/Haitian0.4%

Cost of Livingrent 9% below CA average

Rent, home values, and income in La Presa

In La Presa, rent runs 9% below the CA average, and home values are 14% below the CA average.

Median rent (per month)

La Presa$1,852
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

La Presa$629,700
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

55.1%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

29.4%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

111.9

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$4,105

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

67.0%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1974

median year built

Vacant Homes

2.8%

of housing units

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.9 pts below CA average

Unemployment in La Presa and typical pay across the metro area

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

Unemployment rate

La Presa4.6%
California avg5.5%
US4.3%

La Presa: 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

La Presa is about 1% of San Diego County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

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

Education & health care21.2%
Retail12.3%
Professional & business services10.3%
Construction9.9%
Arts, hospitality & food service9.6%
Manufacturing8.8%
Public administration7.2%
Transportation & utilities6.8%

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

Commute26.9 min avg

How La Presa residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In La Presa, most residents drive alone to work (76%), and 63% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone75.9%
Carpool10.2%
Public transit1.0%
Walk1.0%
Work from home9.7%
Other2.1%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min11.8%
15–29 min51.5%
30–44 min23.2%
45–59 min6.3%
60+ min7.2%

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 La Presa, 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 La Presa, 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.

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

San Diego County, county-wide

La Presa is about 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 La Presa, 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

La Presa is about 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

La Presa 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

12.0"

Annual Snowfall

0.0"

Hot Days/Year

5

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

0

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

49

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 La Presa

Uninsured

7.0%

of residents

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

Grossmont Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5 mi away · La Mesa

Paradise Valley Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.2 mi away · National City

Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health Syste

Psychiatric · 5.3 mi away · La Mesa

Not rated

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity28.0%US 36.8%
Diabetes11.7%US 12.6%
High blood pressure30.1%US 37.1%
Current smoking11.0%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity24.6%US 26.6%
Depression20.4%US 23.0%
Asthma9.2%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year72.4%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.

Education25.1% college degree rate

Schools and degree attainment in La Presa

Public Schools

7

within city limits

Private Schools

0

within city limits

College Degree Rate

25.1%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

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

Colleges Near La Presa (within 15 miles)

San Diego State University

6.3 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

4.7 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 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

7.4 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

11.3 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

9.1 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, 14 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for La Presa

La Presa has 2 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Cabrillo National Monument (14 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Cabrillo National Monument

National Monument

14 mi away

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

National Historic Trail

82 mi away

Public Libraries in La Presa

Spring Valley Library

836 Kempton Street, Spring Valley

Branch~38 hrs/week

Cities Near La Presa

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to La Presa?

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

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La Presa FAQ

Is La Presa, California affordable?⌄

La Presa's median rent is $1,852/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $93,479/year. Median home value is $629,700.

Is La Presa, California safe?⌄

La Presa 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 La Presa, California?⌄

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

What is the cost of living in La Presa, California?⌄

The cost of living in La Presa is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,852/month and median household income is $93,479/year. The median home value is $629,700. About 55% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in La Presa, California?⌄

The average commute in La Presa is 27 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