The Town FilesSolana Beach, California
City in San Diego County · population 12,941 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $2,000,001
- Household income
- $152,167
- Jan low / Jul high
- 48° / 74°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 50.1
Solana Beach is a city of 12,941 people in San Diego County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 92% of California towns, more upscale than 90% of California towns, better for young professionals than 86% of California towns.
How Solana Beach 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 Solana Beach is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 13.1 times the median household income of $152,167, which is more affordable than 2% of California towns. Median rent is $3,212 a month. 67.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Solana Beach | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,212 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $152,167 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 13.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 67.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 9.6% | — |
Who lives in Solana Beach
| People | Solana Beach | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.1 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 72.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.5% | — |
| Work from home | 30.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Solana Beach
July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 47.8°F. About 11.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Solana Beach since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on January 29, 1998 about 4.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 22, 2007.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on June 3, 2009.
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 Solana Beach itself the ACS puts it at 3.5%.
Public schools in Solana Beach
3 public schools with 1,204 students, about 23.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earl Warren Middle | 7-8 | 492 | 23.4 |
| Skyline Elementary | K-6 | 431 | 23.9 |
| Solana Vista Elementary | K-3 | 281 | 21.6 |
Towns near Solana Beach
- Del Mar, CA1.9 mi · 3,954 people · home $2,000,001
- Encinitas, CA4.1 mi · 62,007 people · home $1,646,800
- Fairbanks Ranch, CA4.1 mi · 3,002 people · home $2,000,001
- Rancho Santa Fe, CA4.2 mi · 3,156 people · home $2,000,001
- Lake San Marcos, CA9.5 mi · 5,328 people · home $917,000
- Carlsbad, CA9.7 mi · 114,746 people · home $1,257,000
- San Marcos, CA11.0 mi · 94,833 people · home $868,000
- San Diego, CA13.7 mi · 1,386,932 people · home $906,700
Solana Beach questions
Is Solana Beach, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Solana Beach scores better for retirees than 81% of California towns and quieter than 53%. 26.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.1).
How much does a house cost in Solana Beach?
The median owner-occupied home in Solana Beach is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $152,167, so homes cost about 13.1 times income. Median rent is $3,212 a month.
What is the weather like in Solana Beach?
July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 47.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Solana Beach get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Solana Beach since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on January 29, 1998. 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)