The Town FilesEl Cajon, California
City in San Diego County · population 106,215 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $681,700
- Household income
- $67,511
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 36.1
El Cajon is a city of 106,215 people in San Diego County, California. The median home is worth $681,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 93% of California towns, more of a college town than 90% of California towns, more walkable than 84% of California towns.
How El Cajon ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in El Cajon is worth $681,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 10.1 times the median household income of $67,511, which is more affordable than 9% of California towns. Median rent is $1,856 a month. 41.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | El Cajon | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $681,700 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,856 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $67,511 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 10.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 41.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.6% | — |
Who lives in El Cajon
| People | El Cajon | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.1 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 25.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 20.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 29.3% | — |
| Work from home | 11.4% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 24.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in El Cajon
July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 42.5°F. About 11.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 57 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 3 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of El Cajon since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on March 19, 1991 about 8.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 19, 1991.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on February 25, 1958.
Severe weather in San Diego County since 1996
San Diego County has been included in 51 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2024 | Flood | DR-4758: Severe Storm And Flooding |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in San Diego County
San Diego County had 1,536,541 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $82,854 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in El Cajon itself the ACS puts it at 9.6%.
Public schools in El Cajon
44 public schools with 27,842 students, about 29.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Hills High | 9-12 | 2,414 | 142.0 |
| Literacy First Charter (charter) | K-12 | 2,050 | 21.6 |
| Valhalla High | 9-12 | 1,845 | 184.5 |
| El Cajon Valley High | 9-12 | 1,672 | 111.5 |
| Hillsdale Middle | 6-8 | 1,483 | 23.5 |
| Bostonia Global (charter) | K-12 | 1,175 | 25.5 |
| Cajon Valley Middle | 6-8 | 930 | 21.1 |
| Naranca Elementary | K-6 | 876 | 27.4 |
| Montgomery Middle | 6-8 | 868 | 23.5 |
| Lexington Elementary | K-5 | 801 | 26.7 |
| Johnson Elementary | K-5 | 757 | 25.2 |
| Chase Avenue Elementary | K-6 | 755 | 24.4 |
Towns near El Cajon
- Bostonia, CA1.6 mi · 16,882 people · home $487,600
- Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA2.7 mi · 19,576 people · home $952,400
- Winter Gardens, CA3.2 mi · 22,380 people · home $608,600
- Granite Hills, CA3.2 mi · 3,267 people · home $974,500
- Rancho San Diego, CA3.6 mi · 21,858 people · home $905,300
- Santee, CA4.0 mi · 60,037 people · home $727,200
- La Mesa, CA4.2 mi · 61,121 people · home $812,000
- Lakeside, CA5.0 mi · 21,152 people · home $634,400
El Cajon questions
Is El Cajon, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, El Cajon scores better for retirees than 21% of California towns and quieter than 7%. 14.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.1).
How much does a house cost in El Cajon?
The median owner-occupied home in El Cajon is valued at $681,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,511, so homes cost about 10.1 times income. Median rent is $1,856 a month.
What is the weather like in El Cajon?
July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 42.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does El Cajon get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of El Cajon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on March 19, 1991. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)