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Planning to settle in the San Diego area? San Diego may be America’s Finest City with its attractions, exciting nightlife, and amazing beaches, but the surrounding areas of San Diego are fantastic, too. By expanding your search out of the city proper, you can ditch the traffic and high San Diego cost of living to get the amenities that matter most to you.
Ready to explore the best places to live near San Diego? Here are the San Diego suburbs that should be on your list whether you want great schools, family-friendly attractions, an exciting downtown, or pristine beaches. Don’t forget to compare the best suburbs of San Diego with our pick of top San Diego neighborhoods to help you narrow down your options and decide if the suburbs are right for you.
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Chula Vista – One of the Best San Diego Suburbs for Families
Chula Vista is just 7.5 miles from Downtown San Diego and the Mexico border yet a world away. This diverse city, the second-largest in Metro San Diego, is famous for its diversity, family-friendly attractions, and excellent school system in addition to 16 private schools and university campuses. That’s just the beginning of what makes it one of the top suburbs of San Diego for families.
Chula Vista is also home to diverse housing options including apartments, condos, and single-family homes. Choose from master-planned communities with plenty of square footage or affordable condos close to the action.
While living in Chula Vista, you can enjoy tons of kid-friendly attractions like Aquatica San Diego and the Living Coast Discovery Center.
Coronado – One of the Most Affluent Cities Outside of San Diego
Easily the best place to live near San Diego for carefree beach living, Coronado is also one of the richest San Diego suburbs. This resort city, located across the bay from downtown San Diego and one of the closest cities near San Diego, is an island known for its beaches and the historic Hotel de Coronado. The Crown City is home to one of America’s best beaches and the Naval Base Coronado, one of the Navy’s largest aerospace-industrial complexes.
While many towns in San Diego can claim easy access to the beach and surf, life on the Silver Strand in Coronado means you can open your back doors to the bay. If you choose to live in the Village, you can walk anywhere on the island for the ultimate laid-back lifestyle.
Escondido – City North of San Diego Known for Outdoor Recreation
The landlocked city of Escondido, located 30 miles northeast of San Diego, is one of oldest cities in San Diego County. While it doesn’t have beaches, it does have a lot to offer including great parks, the massive Daley Ranch preserve, Dixon Lake, and shopping at Westfield North Country Mall and hundreds of small boutiques.
Escondido is one of the best suburbs of San Diego for outdoor enthusiasts. The great outdoors is what makes Escondido so unique: go camping and fishing on the weekend for bass, catfish, and trout; go hiking at the preserve, or stroll through Old Escondido to admire the historic architecture.
Oceanside – One of the Safest Suburbs of San Diego
Concerned about safety? Oceanside is definitely one of the best San Diego suburbs for you. As you choose from the many great San Diego suburbs within your budget, don’t overlook Oceanside, one of the safest cities in San Diego County. Oceanside was recently ranked within the top 100 safest cities in the United States. The crime rate in Oceanside is about the same as the national average and 10% lower than the California average.
This large city just outside Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton has more to offer than safety. Oceanside is known for its affordable coastal living by Southern California standards and it’s close to both Los Angeles and San Diego. Despite being a large city, Oceanside feels more like one of the small towns near San Diego with close-knit neighborhoods. You’ll love spending time at the harbor and pier with opportunities to take a stroll, enjoy a meal by the water, or shop.
Our complete guide goes into more detail about what living in Oceanside is really like!
Located just 9 miles east of San Diego, Lemon Grove is unmistakable: as you enter the city, you’re greeted by a 3,000-pound lemon monument that stands 10 feet tall close to the Orange Line trolley track. What makes Lemon Grove one of the best towns in San Diego? This unique community is family friendly and close-knit yet boasts a convenient location with two Orange Line trolley stops.
You’ll find mostly 3- and 4-bedroom ranch homes, many of which date to the post-WWII real estate explosion in suburbs across America. There are also some historic gems like Tudor and Victorian homes from the early 20th century. Lemon Grove boasts a welcoming atmosphere that feels like small-town America with frequent community events, parks, and locally owned businesses.
If you’re looking for the best suburbs in San Diego that capture the small-town Southern California living at its finest, living in Lemon Grove may be perfect for you.
Poway – Best Place to Live in San Diego County for Great Schools & Space
Poway is one of the best San Diego suburbs with a little bit of everything, from beautiful views and great parks to a strong economy and plenty of recreation. Poway’s big claim to fame is its school system, the third largest in the county and the top-rated. The prestigious Poway Unified School District (PUSD) offers two high schools, two middle schools, and seven elementary schools.
Known as the City in the Country, more than half of Poway’s 39 square miles is dedicated green space. There are more than 76 miles of trails to enjoy and dozens of parks like the Skate Park, Old Poway Park with train rides and a museum, and Lake Poway, a recreational area in the hills with fishing, archery, and boating. Poway even boasts one of the county’s lowest crime rates and one of the lowest crime rates in the city.
There’s always something new to do in Poway, from wineries and hiking to shopping. The main drawback is Poway is one of the more expensive suburbs in San Diego. Still, the trade-off is worth it considering the space, safety, amenities, and great education living in Poway has to offer.
Encinitas is one of the most popular places to live near San Diego for affluent families and young professionals. This small city, located on the coast about 25 miles north of San Diego, is comprised of five large neighborhoods, each with a different style of living.
In New Encinitas, families enjoy the new homes surrounding a golf course. Olivenhain is a more rural area of Encinitas known for its equestrian lifestyle. In the inland areas, it’s common to see people riding their horses. The Downtown Encinitas area on the coast offers a walkable shopping area with historic architecture and upscale shops and restaurants.
It isn’t just young professionals who have made Encinitas one of the most desirable suburbs of San Diego CA; with some of the best beaches in San Diego and excellent surf conditions, it’s a haven for suffers too!
One of the biggest drawbacks of living in Encinitas? The high cost of living. Encinitas is a very affluent community, and the high housing costs are a roadblock for middle-income households.
Solana Beach – Gorgeous Town Near San Diego Known for Ocean Views & Walkability
Want to enjoy coastal living at its finest? Solana Beach, a small coastal city built on the bluffs overlooking the ocean, is one of the most desirable San Diego suburbs for ocean views. It’s also known for its pristine public beaches and close-knit community atmosphere. Many Solana Beach residents are retirees or young professionals.
One of the best things to do in Solana Beach is enjoy Fletcher Cove, a picturesque park and Solana Beach’s central beach. It’s just a couple of blocks from Highway 101 with an ocean viewing deck, playground, basketball court, and grassy space. The nearby Tide Beach Park is a great place to surf, fish, swim, snorkel, and body-board with a large reef and tide pools to explore.
Check out our in-depth guide to learn more about what living in Solana Beach has to offer.
Carlsbad – Great San Diego Suburb for Shopping & Recreation
Carlsbad is one of the largest suburbs of San Diego and a popular tourist destination in its own right. Located 35 miles north of San Diego, the Village by the Sea was once agricultural land before development began. This historic community was home to the world’s first modern skate park and today boasts Legoland California, the first Legoland outside Europe.
What makes this coastal gem such a great place to live? Plenty! The Carlsbad Unified School District is one of the county’s top-rated schools with many Distinguished Schools at the state and federal level. Along with a great education, Carlsbad is one of the best places to live near San Diego thanks to its endless entertainment. Along with the surfing and beaches, Carlsbad offers boating at the Aqua Hacienda Lagoon. It’s also a top golfing destination with world-class shopping and dining. Some of the best shopping destinations in Carlsbad are The Forum Carlsbad, Carlsbad Village for a downtown feel, and the Carlsbad Premium Outlets.
San Diego Suburbs Map
Is one of these suburbs of San Diego calling to you? Whether it’s coastal living you’re after or a more rural setting surrounded by nature, you’ll find it in San Diego County. Ahead of moving day, call the top-rated San Diego moving company at Republic Moving & Storage for a free moving estimate and the superior customer care you deserve.
Bill Lovejoy
Bill Lovejoy is the president of Republic Moving and Storage. Purchasing the assets of Republic Relocations in May 2008. In 2008, Republic did $700K of business and today is over $15 Million. Republic was named AMSA’s 2010 Agent of the Year for Service Excellence after only two years in business.
Bill is proud that he grew up doing every facet of the business from a local mover, over the road driver, salesperson, operations manager, and general manager. (and just about everything else in between) Before purchasing Republic, Bill was with Bekins Moving and Storage where he served as a Senior Vice President and was a partner. He was responsible for three HHG companies as well as two logistics companies.
A proud Father of six children, and a lovely wife, Carol, Bill constantly works to keep a balance between work and family Life. Bills “stress relieving” hobbies include racket ball, basketball, tennis, and golf.
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