Is Del Mar, CA a Good Place to Live?
Del Mar is a small town of 3,956 in California, with a median household income of $185,335 and a 2.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Del Mar stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Del Mar is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Del Mar city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 111.5Del Mar's overall cost of living index is 111.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Del Mar costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Del Mar, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $2,000,001 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,961 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $185,335 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeDel Mar's violent crime rate is 130.2 per 100,000 residents — 66% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Del Mar is served primarily by Del Mar Union Elementary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19.5:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Del Mar, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Del Mar Union Elementary | — |
| Elementary Schools | 9 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 19.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 84.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 99.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Del Mar sees average highs of 67.4°F in January and 80.0°F in July, with 12.1 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Del Mar, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 67.4°F |
| Average High — July | 80.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Del Mar, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,956 | — |
| Median Age | 52.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 85.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 31.8% | 16.8% |