Poway, CA vs Solana Beach, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricPoway, CASolana Beach, CA
Population48,71312,823
Median Household Income$148,359$152,167
Median Rent$2,301/mo$3,212/mo
Median Home Value$1,034,800$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income51.3%49.3%
Poverty Rate5.6%5.5%
Unemployment Rate4.1%4.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k89111
Property Crime Rate /100k3751,183
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs80°F73°F
Winter Lows45°F48°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute25.3 min21 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher2723.2
College Degree Rate54.2%72.3%
Foreign-Born %18%10.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+0.7%-2.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.