Solana Beach, CA vs Carlsbad, CA

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

MetricSolana Beach, CACarlsbad, CA
Population12,823114,373
Median Household Income$152,167$142,748
Median Rent$3,212/mo$2,808/mo
Median Home Value$2,000,000+$1,257,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income49.3%54.5%
Poverty Rate5.5%6.9%
Unemployment Rate4.6% (county)4.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k111212
Property Crime Rate /100k1,1831,118
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs73°F73°F
Winter Lows48°F48°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute21 min27.1 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher23.222.8
College Degree Rate72.3%62.1%
Foreign-Born %10.5%14.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.6%-2.2%

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.