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El Cajon, CA

City in San Diego County, California. ZIP codes: 92020, 92021.

Population

104,449

Land area

14.5sq mi

People per sq mi

7,199

ZIP codes

2

El Cajon and its ZIP codes

Full map

El Cajon at a glance

  • El Cajon is about 29 times as dense as California as a whole.
  • It is the 70th most populous of 1,570 cities and towns in California.
  • Households here earn a median of $67,511 a year, 32% less than the California figure of $99,122.
  • A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $681,700 (7% below California) and median rent is $1,856 a month.

Local data for El Cajon, CA

Counts from official public data

Housing and community stats

El Cajon, CA, American Community Survey 2020-2024

Full profile

Median household income

$67,511

Poverty rate

20.5%

Median home value

$681,700

Median rent

$1,856/mo

Homeownership

41.5%

Bachelor's or higher

23.0%

Median age

36.1

Average commute

24.8 min

Largest reported origins and ancestries: Mexican Americans (26,258), Arab Americans (11,838), German Americans (7,187).

Home values and rentsIncome, education and commute

Economy and federal money

Jobs, pay, income and spending are for San Diego County. PPP loans are for El Cajon.

Details

Unemployment rate

4.7%

Sep 2026, -0.2 pts in a year

Average annual pay

$85,402

1,535,067 jobs, 2025

Income per person

$84,312

BEA, 2024

Federal spending

$35.8B

FY 2026, $10,862 per person

PPP loans

$216M

2,209 loans, 24,014 jobs reported

San Diego County economyFederal spendingPPP loans

How people get to work

El Cajon, CA, workers 16 and older. American Community Survey 5-year estimates

  • Drove alone72.6%
  • Carpooled9.4%
  • Public transit2.3%
  • Walked2.3%
  • Bicycle0.4%
  • Taxi, ride-hailing, motorcycle or other1.6%
  • Worked from home11.4%

Average one-way commute: 24.8 minutes for people who do not work from home.

Environment and hazard risk

El Cajon, CA, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA

Full report

Natural hazard risk

Very High

Top: wildfire

Storm events since 1996

2,698

Countywide, mostly high wind

Flood insurance policies

6,088

0.7% of homes, county

July high / Jan low

86° / 43°F

11.6 inches of rain a year

Hazards, floods and storm historyCheck a flood zone

Health statistics

Share of adults in El Cajon, CA, CDC PLACES estimates

All 40 measures

Obesity

30.0%

U.S. 33.3% -3.3 pts

Diabetes

11.8%

U.S. 12.1% about the same

Smoking

15.3%

U.S. 12.8% +2.5 pts

Uninsured (18-64)

11.1%

U.S. 11.1% about the same

ZIP codes in El Cajon

2 in or overlapping El Cajon. Population shown

·

Cities near El Cajon

NameDistanceLand area (sq mi)
BostoniaCensus-designated place1.7 mi1.9
Casa de Oro-Mount HelixCensus-designated place2.4 mi6.9
Granite HillsCensus-designated place2.5 mi2.8
Rancho San DiegoCensus-designated place3 mi8.7
Winter GardensCensus-designated place3 mi4.4
La MesaCity4.4 mi9.1
SanteeCity4.7 mi16.5
LakesideCensus-designated place4.8 mi6.9
CrestCensus-designated place4.8 mi6.5
Spring ValleyCensus-designated place4.9 mi7.3
Eucalyptus HillsCensus-designated place5.8 mi4.8
Lemon GroveCity6.6 mi3.9
Harbison CanyonCensus-designated place7.1 mi10.1
La PresaCensus-designated place7.1 mi5.5
JamulCensus-designated place7.5 mi16.8
BonitaCensus-designated place10 mi5

Frequently asked questions

What county is El Cajon, CA in?
El Cajon is in San Diego County, California.
What ZIP codes are in El Cajon, CA?
ZIP codes in or overlapping El Cajon include 92020, 92021.
What is the population of El Cajon, CA?
About 104,449 people live in El Cajon, based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
What cities are near El Cajon?
Nearby places include Bostonia (1.7 mi), Casa de Oro-Mount Helix (2.4 mi), Granite Hills (2.5 mi), Rancho San Diego (3 mi), Winter Gardens (3 mi).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line boundaries, American Community Survey) · Data as of 12/31/2023

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