About

Life in Lakeside (San Diego County)

Lakeside CDP (San Diego County) is a community of 21,788 people in California. The median household income is $96,447, median rent runs about $2,016 per month, and median home values are around $634,400. The unemployment rate is 4.6%.

Lakeside (San Diego County) at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

38.7 yrs

Poverty Rate

9.9%

Foreign-Born

10.7%

Broadband Internet

92.5%

of households

Population Growth

-0.6%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Lakeside (San Diego County)$96,447
California avg$99,122
US$80,734

Demographics10.7% foreign-born, most often from Mexico

Who lives in Lakeside (San Diego County): race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Lakeside (San Diego County), the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (50.0%), and 14.7% of residents speak Spanish at home.

Under 18

24.3%

of residents

65 and Older

19.7%

of residents

Households with Kids

34.8%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

15.9%

of households

Married Couples

54.0%

of households

Avg Household Size

3.06

people

Race & Ethnicity

White62.1%
Hispanic or Latino26.7%
Two or more races6.3%
Asian2.0%
Black1.3%
Other1.3%

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

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Mexico50.0%
Iraq18.8%
Philippines11.9%
Norway2.9%
Germany2.6%
Dominican Republic2.5%
Vietnam1.6%
El Salvador1.5%
Portugal1.0%
Other Australian and New Zealand Subregion1.0%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only79.9%
Spanish14.7%
Arabic1.4%
Other Indo-European1.0%
Tagalog/Filipino0.9%
Other0.8%
German/Germanic0.6%
Other Asian/Pacific0.3%

Cost of Livingrent about average for CA

Rent, home values, and income in Lakeside (San Diego County)

In Lakeside (San Diego County), home values are 14% below the CA average.

Median rent (per month)

Lakeside (San Diego County)$2,016
California avg$2,036
US$1,413

Median home value

Lakeside (San Diego County)$634,400
California avg$734,700
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

51.4%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

24.8%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

111.9

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$4,150

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

68.5%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1981

median year built

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.9 pts below CA average

Unemployment in Lakeside (San Diego County) and typical pay across the metro area

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

Unemployment rate

Lakeside (San Diego County)4.6%
California avg5.5%
US4.3%

Lakeside (San Diego County): 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

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

What Lakeside (San Diego County) Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care25.0%
Professional & business services13.2%
Construction12.1%
Arts, hospitality & food service10.3%
Retail9.9%
Manufacturing7.9%
Public administration7.2%
Finance & real estate5.4%

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

Commute25.6 min avg

How Lakeside (San Diego County) residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Lakeside (San Diego County), most residents drive alone to work (74%), and 60% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone73.6%
Carpool5.0%
Public transit0.3%
Walk2.3%
Work from home15.3%
Other3.5%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min22.7%
15–29 min37.7%
30–44 min22.4%
45–59 min11.2%
60+ min5.9%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • San Diego International Airport (SAN)

    Major hub12.7M passengers boarded in 2025

    19 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 Lakeside (San Diego County), 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 Lakeside (San Diego County), 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.

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

San Diego County, county-wide

Lakeside (San Diego County) 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 Lakeside (San Diego County), 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

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

Climate85°F summers, 43°F winters

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

Lakeside (San Diego County) has warm summers (avg high 85°F) and mild winters (avg low 43°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

74°/52°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

85°/62°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

81°/55°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

69°/43°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

15.1"

Annual Snowfall

0.0"

Hot Days/Year

57

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

3

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

45

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
30°50°70°90°3"Jan: 2.32" precipitationFeb: 2.61" precipitationMar: 1.92" precipitationApr: 0.75" precipitationMay: 0.30" precipitationJun: 0.06" precipitationJul: 0.16" precipitationAug: 0.02" precipitationSep: 0.11" precipitationOct: 0.54" precipitationNov: 1.01" precipitationDec: 1.83" precipitationJJan: high 69°F, low 43°FFFeb: high 69°F, low 44°FMMar: high 71°F, low 48°FAApr: high 75°F, low 51°FMMay: high 76°F, low 56°FJJun: high 81°F, low 59°FJJul: high 86°F, low 63°F89°AAug: high 89°F, low 65°FSSep: high 87°F, low 62°FOOct: high 81°F, low 56°FNNov: high 75°F, low 47°F42°DDec: high 69°F, low 42°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan69°F43°F2.32"
Feb69°F44°F2.61"
Mar71°F48°F1.92"
Apr75°F51°F0.75"
May76°F56°F0.30"
Jun81°F59°F0.06"
Jul86°F63°F0.16"
Aug89°F65°F0.02"
Sep87°F62°F0.11"
Oct81°F56°F0.54"
Nov75°F47°F1.01"
Dec69°F42°F1.83"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Lakeside (San Diego County)

Uninsured

5.8%

of residents

No hospitals inside Lakeside (San Diego County)'s limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

Grossmont Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.1 mi away · La Mesa

Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health Syste

Psychiatric · 9.9 mi away · La Mesa

Not rated

Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 11.9 mi away · San Diego

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity27.9%US 36.8%
Diabetes10.6%US 12.6%
High blood pressure32.0%US 37.1%
Current smoking12.8%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity21.7%US 26.6%
Depression24.3%US 23.0%
Asthma10.1%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year73.6%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.

Education26.1% college degree rate

Schools and degree attainment in Lakeside (San Diego County)

Public Schools

6

within city limits

Private Schools

1

within city limits

College Degree Rate

26.1%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

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

Colleges Near Lakeside (San Diego County) (within 15 miles)

San Diego State University

11.2 mi away

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

Grossmont College

6.6 mi away

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

San Diego Miramar College

13.1 mi away

Public · 2-year · 11,271 students · in-state tuition $1,154 · 22% graduate · median earnings $53,737 (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)

Cuyamaca College

8.1 mi away

Public · 2-year · 7,177 students · in-state tuition $1,340 · 25% graduate · median earnings $45,171 (10 yrs after entry)

North-West College-San Diego

11.3 mi away

Private for-profit · 2-year · 636 students · median earnings $46,721 (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, 23 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Lakeside (San Diego County)

Lakeside (San Diego County) has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Cabrillo National Monument (23 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Cabrillo National Monument

National Monument

23 mi away

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

National Historic Trail

73 mi away

Joshua Tree National Park

National Park

95 mi away

Public Libraries in Lakeside (San Diego County)

Lakeside Library

9839 Vine St., Lakeside

Branch~45 hrs/week

Cities Near Lakeside (San Diego County)

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Lakeside (San Diego County)?

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

Moving to Lakeside (San Diego County) →

Lakeside (San Diego County) FAQ

Is Lakeside (San Diego County), California affordable?⌄

Lakeside (San Diego County)'s median rent is $2,016/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $96,447/year. Median home value is $634,400.

Is Lakeside (San Diego County), California safe?⌄

Lakeside (San Diego County) 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 Lakeside (San Diego County), California?⌄

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

What is the cost of living in Lakeside (San Diego County), California?⌄

The cost of living in Lakeside (San Diego County) is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $2,016/month and median household income is $96,447/year. The median home value is $634,400. About 51% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Lakeside (San Diego County), California?⌄

The average commute in Lakeside (San Diego County) is 26 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