What it's like to live in National City
National City is a smaller city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. National City deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, and household incomes below the national average.
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
How National City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to National City
Based on National City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,384
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $67,680 a year
- 58% of National City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$122,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $61,220
- Homes cost 9.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 20% above US
$1,692/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,692 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $612,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $612,200 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 26% above US
5.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.4%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 94% above US
637 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 1713/100k · National City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 74°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 50% below US
18% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cabrillo National Monument (8 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in National City's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,692/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
See all the data for National City →·All California cities →
Other places near National City
All California guides →Moving to Coronado →
4 mi away · pop. 19,015
Rent $3,257/mo · Income $134,534
Compare with National City →Moving to Bonita →
4 mi away · pop. 12,652
Rent $2,218/mo · Income $118,674
Compare with National City →Moving to Chula Vista →
6 mi away · pop. 276,375
Rent $2,229/mo · Income $108,032
Compare with National City →Moving to Lemon Grove →
6 mi away · pop. 27,686
Rent $1,893/mo · Income $88,009
Compare with National City →Not sure National City is the one?
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