Relocation Guide

Welcome To San Diego

America’s Finest City

During the 1920s and ’30s, pioneering aviators like Charles Lindbergh and Claude Ryan helped create and secure San Diego’s future as a military and defense center.

Following the Second World War, the city saw its geography and climate as a magnet for growth. A bond issue to develop Mission Bay was approved. Two years later, the San Diego Aquaduct opened, bringing Colorado River water here. By 1950, the population stood at 555,000 persons.

The Fifties saw a doubling of the population and the growth of new communities. In 1958, Interstate 8 opened the Mission Valley to development. In quick order, shopping centers, hotels, and a stadium were built. SeaWorld opened near Mission Bay in 1964.

San Diego County is the southernmost county in California, encompassing an area about the size of the state of Connecticut.

About San Diego

San Diego County is the southernmost county in California, encompassing an area about the size of the state of Connecticut. Over three million people live here with one-quarter of the people under 20 years of age and another million ages 25 to 44. The median age is 33.9. The U.S. median age is 37.4.

San Diego County is comprised of 18 incorporated cities—the largest of which is the City of San Diego. Five elected supervisors govern the County with an administrative officer appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The City of San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the nation.

San Diego is an ethnically diverse group: 45% White, 29% Hispanic, 16% Asian and 7% Black.

Average annual pay is over $60,000 or about 6% higher than the U.S. average. Thirty-five percent of he workforce aged 25+ has a bachelor’s degree or higher. Median household income is $64,273. Over 202,000 households earn more than $75,000/yr.