Downey vs El Cajon
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $681,700 in El Cajon and $796,600 in Downey.
- Households earn more in Downey ($90,699 vs $67,511 median).
- El Cajon has more scorching days: 57 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 6.
- Commutes are shorter in El Cajon (25 vs 31 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Downey, CA | El Cajon, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 108,468 | 101,755 |
| Growth since 2020 | -5.1% | -4.2% |
| People per square mile | 8,741 | 7,013 |
| Median age | 37.7 | 36.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26% | 23% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $90,699 | $67,511 |
| Median home value | $796,600 | $681,700 |
| Home value to income | 8.8× | 10.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,937 | $1,856 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 111.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 179.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $83,900 |
| Homeowners | 51% | 42% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 31.0 | 24.8 |
| Work from home | 9% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 9.6% |
| Poverty rate | 9% | 20.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 67° / 47° | 69° / 43° |
| July high / low | 77° / 62° | 86° / 63° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 12 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 6 | 57 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 2 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 8 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 100.0 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 18% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.2% | +2.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +31.9% | +40.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Downey: January to December. El Cajon: January to June and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Downey weather by month and El Cajon weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Downey and $83,900 in El Cajon. Moving from Downey to El Cajon, you would need about $73,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Downey and El Cajon
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Downey and El Cajon.
Which would you pick?
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