San Diego vs Suffolk
The short version
- Suffolk is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the San Diego area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $347,400 in Suffolk and $906,700 in San Diego.
- Households earn more in San Diego ($108,077 vs $92,666 median).
- San Diego has the warmer winter: January highs of 66°F vs 50°F.
- Suffolk has more scorching days: 42 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 4.
- Suffolk is growing faster: +10.9% since 2020 vs +1.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in San Diego (24 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| San Diego, CA | Suffolk, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,406,106 | 104,699 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.6% | +10.9% |
| People per square mile | 4,312 | 262 |
| Median age | 36.2 | 38.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51% | 33% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $108,077 | $92,666 |
| Median home value | $906,700 | $347,400 |
| Home value to income | 8.4× | 3.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,313 | $1,563 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.9 | 97.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 179.3 | 99.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,900 | $73,500 |
| Homeowners | 47% | 71% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 5.75% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 5.77% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.5 | 30.2 |
| Work from home | 21% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 11% | 9.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 66° / 49° | 50° / 34° |
| July high / low | 74° / 65° | 89° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 9 in | 46 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 3 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 4 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 32 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.7 | 60.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 18% | 78% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.5% | +3.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.8% | +43.4% |
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: San Diego: January to December. Suffolk: April to May and October.
Full monthly tables: San Diego weather by month and Suffolk weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $83,900 in San Diego and $73,500 in Suffolk. Moving from San Diego to Suffolk, you would need about $65,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between San Diego and Suffolk
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from San Diego and Suffolk.
Which would you pick?
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