Housing data for Descanso, CA
Descanso, CA has an estimated 1,590 residents and 587 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in San Diego County.
29.8% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $3,250 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 1,590 (±430)
- Housing units
- 587 (±123)
- Households that rent
- 29.8%
- Median gross rent
- $3,250
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +1.4%
What stands out in Descanso
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 0.9% (±10.0 points) in Descanso, lower than in San Diego County (29.5%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 5.6% (±9.4 points) in Descanso, lower than in San Diego County (26.8%).
Median gross rent: $3,250 (±$447) in Descanso, higher than in San Diego County ($2,246).
Median real estate taxes: $3,838 (±$1,174) in Descanso, lower than in San Diego County ($5,774).
Housing in Descanso at a glance
- Median rent: $3,250 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 28.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 29.8% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $110,132 median household income
- Home values: $662,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,637 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $3,838 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 70.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 59.8% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 31.8% heat with wood
- Commute and cars: 27.0 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +1.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 5.6% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 3.3% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Fair Market Rent: $2,820 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 91916)
Descanso against San Diego County, its state and the nation
| Descanso | San Diego County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,590 (±430) | 3,288,774 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 587 (±123) | 1,250,641 (±516) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 29.8% (±13.8 points) | 45.4% (±0.3 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $3,250 (±$447) | $2,246 (±$11) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $110,132 (±$22,789) | $106,268 (±$949) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $662,600 (±$63,540) | $854,700 (±$3,996) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $3,838 (±$1,174) | $5,774 (±$47) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 59.8% (±22.1 points) | 49.4% (±0.5 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 27.0 minutes (±7.2) | 25.5 minutes (±0.2) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 83.3% (±14.5 points) | 94.9% (±0.2 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 53.6 years (±21.1) | 37.3 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Descanso covers 19.2 square miles of land, about 83 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Descanso has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,568 (±386) | 1,590 (±430) | +1.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 707 (±112) | 587 (±123) | −17.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $944 (±$183) | $3,250 (±$447) | +244.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $380,700 (±$37,843) | $662,600 (±$63,540) | +74.0% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $92,232 (±$28,098) | $110,132 (±$22,789) | +19.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,928 (±$138) | $2,637 (±$162) | +36.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,603 (±$515) | $3,838 (±$1,174) | +47.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 7.3% (±4.8 points) | 29.8% (±13.8 points) | +22.5 percentage points | Measurable increase |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±48.1 points) | 0.0% (±21.9 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in San Diego County
Descanso has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for San Diego County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for San Diego County recorded 316 violent and 1,155 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Descanso
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91916 | 30% | 1,710 | $3,000 | $676,800 | $103,438 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Descanso
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Valley | 7.1 mi | — | $627,800 | 6.6% |
| Alpine | 7.7 mi | $1,973 | $864,000 | 26.1% |
| Harbison Canyon | 13 mi | $2,793 | $688,600 | 11.3% |
| San Diego Country Estates | 13 mi | $2,851 | $810,300 | 8.8% |
| Julian | 14 mi | $1,860 | $602,700 | 12.8% |
| Crest | 15 mi | $1,196 | $724,500 | 7.3% |
| Lakeside | 16 mi | $2,016 | $634,400 | 31.5% |
| Granite Hills | 17 mi | $1,959 | $974,500 | 12.5% |
Places in California most like Descanso
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graton | $2,826 | $878,100 | $91,429 | 20.9% |
| Aromas | $2,638 | $863,500 | $148,438 | 26.7% |
| Vine Hill | $2,460 | $631,900 | $115,313 | 21.3% |
| El Verano | $2,372 | $909,300 | $123,738 | 41.1% |
| Vandenberg Village | $2,313 | $637,100 | $110,904 | 25.2% |
| Simi Valley | $2,579 | $823,800 | $122,081 | 27.1% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Descanso, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,192 | $2,335 | $2,823 | $3,743 | $4,526 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Descanso, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $36,750 | $61,250 | $97,950 |
| 2 people | $42,000 | $70,000 | $111,950 |
| 3 people | $47,250 | $78,750 | $125,950 |
| 4 people | $52,450 | $87,450 | $139,900 |
| 5 people | $56,650 | $94,450 | $151,100 |
| 6 people | $60,850 | $101,450 | $162,300 |
| 7 people | $65,050 | $108,450 | $173,500 |
| 8 people | $69,250 | $115,450 | $184,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $130,900.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Descanso is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Descanso
What is the average rent in Descanso, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Descanso is $3,250 (±$447) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How many renters are there in Descanso?
Descanso has an estimated 170 (±88) renting households, 29.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Descanso?
The median household income in Descanso is $110,132 (±$22,789) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Descanso, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $662,600 (±$63,540) for owner-occupied homes in Descanso (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Descanso?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Descanso, CA is $2,637 (±$162) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Descanso?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Descanso, CA is $3,838 (±$1,174) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Descanso growing?
In Descanso, the number of residents went from 1,568 in 2015–2019 to 1,590 in 2020–2024 (+1.4%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Descanso?
The ZIP code that covers Descanso is 91916.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 91916?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 91916 is $3,000 (±$2,219) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Descanso CDP, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Descanso CDP, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Descanso CDP, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Descanso CDP, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Descanso CDP, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Descanso CDP, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Descanso CDP, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Descanso CDP, California (place:18940, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .