California is well known for being both beautiful and incredibly expensive. And the Southern California coast even more so. The region saw its population explode especially during the post-World War II years. San Diego, in particular, witnessed huge growth and continued to experience it well after the end of the Cold War. The population of San Diego increased by 25% over the last 30 years, from 1,110,549 in 1990 to 1,386,932 in 2020.
San Diego is an expensive city, but the magnitude can vary substantially from ZIP code to ZIP code. The San Diego metro area as a whole has experienced a massive surge in population, wealth, economic activity, diversity, among many other metrics.
Recently, we've been analyzing ZIP codes in terms of their home values, and going state by state identifying the most expensive ones. This time around the focus is on the San Diego metro area rather than on the state level. Read on to find out the most expensive ZIP codes in the San Diego metro area in 2024.
Using data from Zillow's home value index, we analyzed thousands of ZIP codes across the U.S. and zeroed-in on the top 25 most expensive ZIP codes in the San Diego area. As part of our analysis, we took into consideration the latest monthly home values Zillow has -- September 2024 -- as well as the average of 12 months of median home values from October 2023 to September 2024, in order to gain a fuller picture.
Below are the 25 most expensive ZIP codes in San Diego.
Many of the most expensive ZIP codes in the San Diego area tend to be north of the city center. Coastal regions, not surprisingly, are a popular spot for several of the most expensive ZIP codes.
The No. 1 most expensive ZIP code in the San Diego metro area is 92067, which covers Rancho Santa Fe, a census-designated place (CDP). Houses here a very large and very expensive. The median home value in 92067 is over $4.58 million, an increase of 6.6%, from $4.3 million in September 2023. The median household income in ZIP code 92067 is $245,427, while the mean household income is almost $100,000 more, at $338,690. Fully 54.3% of households in ZIP code 92067 earn $200,000 or more a year. The ZIP code is also home to the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club.
The No. 2 most expensive ZIP code in the San Diego area is 92091. It also covers much of Rancho Santa Fe -- indeed, borders ZIP code 90267 -- but is not a contiguous unit: It's broken up into five different sections. Home values in ZIP code 92091 were already quite high, but the pandemic-induced homebuying spree sent them skyward. Beginning around November 2020, home values really achieved liftoff. From November 2020, when the median home value was $1.93 million, it rose by 27.3%, reaching more than $2.45 million by November 2021. The median home value as of September 2024 was well over $3.18 million. That was up by 6.6% from last September when it was roughly $2.99 million. There seems to be some income inequality in ZIP code 92091. Approximately 32.3% of households earn $200,000 or more, which is a plurality of households. But 35.7% of households earn less than $35,000. This can be seen in the difference between the median household income -- $96,818 -- and the average household income -- $187,891.
The No. 3 most expensive ZIP code in San Diego -- 92014 -- covers the coastal city of Del Mar, plus Del Mar Heights and non-contiguous parts farther inland. The ZIP code is a 25-to-30-minute drive from San Diego, and has countless stunning homes. ZIP code 92014 witnessed a substantial year-over-year increase in home values, with the median increasing by almost 7%, from $2.6 million in September 2023 to $2.74 million in September 2024. Incomes are high and less unequally spread than in ZIP code 92091. The median household income in 92014 is $203,520, while the average household income is $276,825.
The fourth most expensive ZIP code in the San Diego metro area is 92118, which covers Coronado, famous for its resorts and Naval Air Station North Island. The 12-month average home value in 92118 is approximately $2.46 million. The median home value in September 2024 was over $2.74 million, which increased by 2.2% from $2.42 million in September 2023. The median income in ZIP code 92118 is $125,558 and the mean household income is $189,078.
The fifth most expensive ZIP code in San Diego is 92037, which covers La Jolla, the Village of La Jolla, and La Jolla Shores. ZIP code 92037 is one of those places that witnessed a massive bubble during the broader American housing bubble of 2005-2007; in fact, ZIP code 92037 saw its home values peak as early as 2005. Values would eventually bottom out in 2011, before steadily recovering and reaching $1.429 million by August 2020. From there, home values soared almost vertically, reaching a temporary peak in July 2022, which has since been surpassed. The median home value in September 2024 was well over $2.25 million, an increase of 5.4% from September 2023's $2.14 million.
Pretty much every ZIP code in the San Diego area experienced an absurd surge in home values beginning around late 2020. Out of the top 25 most expensive ZIP codes in the San Diego metro area, there are three that experienced year-over-year appreciation in home values that exceeded 10%. The first is ZIP code 92130, which covers Carmel Valley, a planned suburban community in the northwest corner of San Diego; the median home value here grew by 10.5%, from roughly $1.89 million in September 2023 to almost $2.09 million in September 2024. The second ZIP code is 92131, which is centered on Scripps Ranch, north-northeast of downtown San Diego, and saw its median rise by 11.2%. And the third is ZIP code 92129, which is borders 92130 to its northeast; home values grew by 11.9% year-over-year.