San Diego County, California
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for San Diego County. Population: 3,269,973 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
San Diego County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.3 — 1873rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within California, it ranks 45th of 58 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show more distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How San Diego County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverEmployment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How San Diego County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, CA | 46.3 | Normal | — |
| Imperial County, CA | 70.9 | Serious Stress | +24.5 |
| Riverside County, CA | 56.0 | Elevated | +9.7 |
| Orange County, CA | 41.9 | Normal | -4.5 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County, NC | 44.0 | Normal | -2.4 |
| Denton County, TX | 43.5 | Normal | -2.9 |
| Fulton County, GA | 49.5 | Normal | +3.1 |
| Sacramento County, CA | 49.6 | Normal | +3.2 |
| Maricopa County, AZ | 50.1 | Elevated | +3.8 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for San Diego County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for San Diego County, California?
San Diego County has a County Distress Index score of 46.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,873rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in California out of 58 counties.
What drives financial distress in San Diego County?
The primary driver of distress in San Diego County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 97.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does San Diego County compare to neighboring counties?
San Diego County (46.3) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Imperial County, CA (70.9); Riverside County, CA (56.0); Orange County, CA (41.9).
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.
What is the population of San Diego County?
San Diego County, California has a population of approximately 3,269,973 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.