Exodus of San Diego County Replaced by Immigrant Population

San Diego County's population has been shrinking, with more people leaving than moving in. This has been driven by the high cost of housing and everyday living. 

I have spoken to countless people who are leaving because—try as they might to hang on—they just can't afford to live here any longer. Current studies reveal 36% are struggling to make ends meet. Then there are those who can't afford to move.

The United States Census Bureau revealed that 30,745 more people moved out of San Diego County than moved into this region last year. That's double of the number of people who left the year before. The Bureau ranked San Diego County #9 in the nation for top domestic out migration.

A Zillow study reported that the income needed to afford a San Diego mortgage in January 2024 was $273,613, more than double from $131,018 in January 2020. A home value of $902,199 with a monthly mortgage payment of $5,757 would take 16.9 years to save a 10% down payment.

But as Americans are fleeing the county, foreign immigrants are moving in. Around 27.3% of the population is now foreign-born. 

Last year's net growth in international migrants represented the highest level in at least 15 years. Net immigration soared to 16,641 in 2022 following a pandemic lull, then rose to 19,815 the following year before reaching last year's count of 24,226.

It is unknown what percentage of these immigrants are unauthorized. The unauthorized group sometimes ends up being supported by the government purse.

The recent surge in San Diego has been overwhelming enough that a government-funded welcome center exhausted its budget and had to close in February of 2024.

In 2023, San Diego County's Point in Time count saw 10,206 people experiencing homelessness. In 2024, that number rose to more than 10,605; an increase of 3%.

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