Is National City, CA a Good Place to Live?
National City is a mid-sized city of 56,345 in California, with a median household income of $59,850 and a 8.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: National City stands out for short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether National City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All National City 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: 111.5National City's overall cost of living index is 111.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in National City costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | National City, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $505,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,504 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 32.8% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $59,850 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Higher than AverageNational City's violent crime rate is 695.6 per 100,000 residents — 83% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
National City is served primarily by National Elementary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.6:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | National City, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | National Elementary | — |
| Elementary Schools | 10 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 15.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 75.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
National City sees average highs of 67.5°F in January and 74.6°F in July, with 9.2 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | National City, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 67.5°F |
| Average High — July | 74.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 9.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | National City, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 56,345 | — |
| Median Age | 36.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 44.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 17.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in National City
National City, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: