El Cajon
- Suburb of San Diego, CA
Suburb
Report Card
- Public Schoolsgrade B+
- Crime & Safetygrade C
- Housinggrade D minus
- Nightlifegrade B+
- Good for Familiesgrade C+
- Diversitygrade A
- Jobsgrade C minus
- Weathergrade A+
- Cost of Livinggrade D
- Health & Fitnessgrade B+
- Outdoor Activitiesgrade A minus
- Commutegrade B+
editorial
About
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$470,800
National
$229,800Median Rent
$1,398
National
$1,096Area Feel
Urban Suburban Mix
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Map
El Cajon Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
grade C
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Assault350.4national 282.7
- Murder4.9national 6.1
- Rape32national 40.7
- Robbery109.7national 135.5
Property Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Burglary279.5national 500.1
- Theft1,167.6national 2,042.8
- Motor Vehicle Theft344.5national 284
Residents
Working in El Cajon
Jobs
grade C minus
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$56,367
National
$64,994Top Public Schools Serving El Cajon
- grade A+
Helix Charter High School
- Rating 4.23 out of 5 795 reviews
- grade A+
Preuss School UCSD
- Rating 4.16 out of 5 297 reviews
- grade A+
Grossmont Middle College High School
- Rating 4.17 out of 5 145 reviews
- grade A
Old Town Academy K-8 Charter School
- grade A
Steele Canyon High School
- Rating 3.96 out of 5 443 reviews
Top Private Schools Near El Cajon
- grade A+
Francis Parker School
- Rating 4.41 out of 5 88 reviews
- grade A+
St. Augustine High School
- Rating 4.32 out of 5 173 reviews
- grade A+
Academy of Our Lady of Peace
- Rating 4.23 out of 5 258 reviews
- grade A+
Torah High Schools of San Diego
- Rating 4.67 out of 5 6 reviews
- grade A+
The Waldorf School of San Diego
- Rating 4.36 out of 5 22 reviews
Similar Places
Places like El Cajon
El Cajon Reviews
Rating 3.51 out of 5 274 reviews
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El Cajon is certainly not the worst city, but it not a good place to live unless you have the money to live in the outskirts. There is a huge problem with methamphetamine usage and production in, and near, the city. There is also a large population of homeless people. While all sorts are represented, a disproportionately large percentage of the chronic homeless population here is white, young or middle-aged, and living with drug addiction problems. It is a sad state of affairs. It is generally a rundown and ugly city, the biggest attraction being a mall. The people are relatively unfriendly as well. The cost of rent is lower than many parts of San Diego County, but it is still extremely expensive for what are often poor to middling apartments, at best. The one bright spot in this darkness is that El Cajon boasts a large Chaldean (Iraqi Catholics) population. They bring a welcome taste of diversity in culture and food, and tend to make great neighbors in my experience.
Easy access to the beaches, desert and mountains. Easy access to stores, not far from Santee, Mission valley and other shopping areas. For military the longest commute is to North Island which is 25 miles. The housing cost are less then any where near the beaches or downtown. Also you get a little land out in El Cajon compared to other locations where you are right next to you neighbor. Not much night life in el cajon, there are some dive bars which are pretty cool, but if your looking for dancing or late night partying, there is not to much. School are ok, I transferred my kids to Santee school district which is pretty easy to do and they did all 12 years in Santee school district. The weather gets hot during Aug and mid Sept but the rest of the year it is beautiful. Not as cool as the coast, but with a pool it doesn't really matter. Also, solar is a must on a house in El Cajon, with the electric bills being high. Over all El cajon has been a great place to raise a family.
I like overall it's a safe place, while I would never recommend going out at night anywhere, there aren't many horrible things that happen such as murder. It's not the most middle class area but it's a city that does care. But I wish more could be done to help the homeless and improve the transportation system.