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Living in Ocean Crest - Your Guide Before Moving to Ocean Crest San Diego
Bill Lovejoy

Living in Ocean Crest 🌅 | What to Know Before Moving to Ocean Crest San Diego

Last Updated On: 5th March 2026, 07:55 am

Living in Ocean Crest is the best! Ocean Crest (also known as Ocean View Hills) is one of the newest neighborhoods in San Diego, with development starting in the late 1990s. Ocean Crest is well known for being a close-knit, family-friendly residential community in Southern San Diego. It is a very nice place to live, with safe and walkable streets and affordable homes for sale.

But before you start moving to Ocean Crest San Diego, you should consider what life is like in this great kid-friendly neighborhood. Here's what to know about Ocean Crest.

Where Is Ocean Crest, San Diego?

An aerial view of homes in Ocean Crest

Ocean View Hills is in southeast San Diego, close to the American-Mexican border. The area of Ocean View Hills is 2.9 square miles, and its zip code is 92154. Ocean Crest borders Otay Mesa, Otay Mesa West, and Chula Vista. Ocean Crest is 16.4 miles from Downtown San Diego, creating a commute of roughly 20 minutes, depending on traffic.

Otay Mesa Open Space is the most notable geographic feature in Ocean Crest. It's a green space and parks open to the public throughout the year. Open green spaces in Ocean Crest take up most of the neighborhood’s area, with small cul de sacs and a compact commercial strip taking up the rest of the space.

Interstate 805 forms the western border of the community, and State Route 905 forms the southern border of the community. Residents living in Ocean Crest do not have access to the San Diego public transportation system. Nearly all residents use their cars for moving to Ocean Crest and getting around the neighborhood.

Map of Ocean Crest, San Diego

You can find homes for sale with a modern living space, restaurants, and stores using this map of Ocean Crest.

Are you ready to start living in Ocean Crest San Diego? Contact Republic Moving and set up a stress free move to any location in the neighborhood now!

Ocean Crest History and Overview

The welcome sign at Ocean View Hills

Ocean Crest was in a largely rural and undeveloped area of San Diego until the mid-1900s. Developers began to arrive in the 1950s, though construction did not begin in earnest until 1998. Ocean Crest San Diego has slowly expanded and grown over the last 25 years, though it remains a modest community of homeowners who emulate suburban living.

Ocean Crest demographics include:

  • Ocean Crest population: 12,702
  • Median household income: $93,100
  • Educational attainment: 76.3% of residents older than 25 have graduated high school, 28.9% have a bachelor's degree
  • Median age: 32.8
  • Foreign-born population: 33.3%
  • Racial and ethnic composition: 55.5% White (12.7% non-Hispanic), 53.2% Hispanic, 24.6% Asian, 6.3% Black or African American, 3.2% two or more races

Ocean Crest is one of the least dense neighborhoods in San Diego, with a population density of 4,260 people per square mile. Ocean Crest is one of the most popular neighborhoods in San Diego for couples and families with children. Married couples form nearly three-quarters of the households in Ocean Crest, with 43.4% of households being families with young children.

What's It Like Living in Ocean Crest?

Families gathered at Vista Pacifica Park

Ocean Crest is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in San Diego for many reasons. It has a quiet and peaceful atmosphere far away from Downtown San Diego, creating a quaint environment for children, retirees, and people looking to unwind after work. It is not a hip location with a prominent nightlife scene, which means that there are fewer tourists and less traffic congestion in the neighborhood.

All cul de sacs and nearly all homes for sale in Ocean Crest are within walking distance of a park or open space. This makes living in Ocean Crest desirable for people who like outdoor activities and public spaces. Some open spaces in Ocean View Hills have walking trails, while others are unpaved and undeveloped, which can make hiking difficult. However, the streets in Ocean View Hills are in very good shape and are walkable, with wide sidewalks, street lights, and clear signage.

Ocean Crest is a diverse neighborhood. Over 2,200 residents living in Ocean Crest were born in Mexico, while over 1,200 residents were born in the Philippines. Ocean Crest does not have a prominent reputation for being LGBTQ-friendly, but LGBTQ people can enjoy living in the community.

Do you want to start moving to Ocean Crest now? Call 619-591-0079 to get a free estimate with transparent pricing today!

Things to Do in Ocean Crest - Best Restaurants, Attractions, and Shopping

Ocean Crest is a predominantly residential community. But you can find top restaurants, stores, and things to do in or a short drive away from the community. Here are the best attractions and things to do in Ocean Crest San Diego.

Restaurants

Golden House is a casual Chinese restaurant with an extensive menu full of classic Chinese dishes. You can order over a dozen different appetizers, as well as soups, pork, seafood, and chicken dishes. Most dishes cost less than $20, and you can save money by ordering family dinners with appetizers, entrees, and rice.

Baked and fried sushi rolls from Little Sakana

Little Sakana serves all-you-can-eat sushi in a family-friendly and welcoming space. The restaurant also has a regular menu with unique hand rolls, sashimi, and baked rolls with crab, shrimp, and salmon.

Pho Cali is a quick-service Vietnamese restaurant known for its banh mi sandwiches and pho. You can also order Thai iced coffee and iced tea for $5, making Pho Cali perfect for a quick lunch or snack.

Shopping

Ocean View Hills is near a few major shopping centers. Palm Ridge Shopping Center is across the street from Ocean View Hills and contains top locally run stores, including Palm Ridge Liquor Deli and Gabby's Barber Shop. The Ocean View Hills Retail Center is in southeast Ocean Crest and also has locally run stores. You can get groceries from a Vons Supermarket in northwestern Ocean Crest.

Things to Do

AMC Palm Promenade screens blockbusters, independent films, and foreign-language films in a kid-friendly space. You can watch movies at AMC Palm Promenade at an affordable cost every day before 4:00 p.m.

Sunset at Cesar Solis Park

Cesar Solis Community Park is one of the top skate parks in San Diego. The free outdoor park contains rails, ledges, and banks for skateboarders of all ages. If you want to go on hikes or let your children play on a playground, you can visit Vista Pacifica Park, which covers 6.9 acres in southeastern Ocean Crest.

Pacific Coast Skydiving organizes skydives from Brown Field Municipal Airport, which borders Ocean View Hills. Dives cost less than $200, and you can bring a large family of adults over the age of 18 to your dive.

Here's where to find these Ocean Crest attractions and places of interest:

The City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department manages parks and open spaces in Ocean Crest. San Diego Parks also plans special events throughout the year; you can use the San Diego Parks events calendar to see when these events will take place.

Do you want to enjoy fun and cool things to do in Ocean Crest? Schedule an appointment with Republic Moving and start your upcoming move now!

Schools in Ocean Crest

The San Ysidro School District serves students living in Ocean Crest. Ocean View Hills Elementary School is located in Ocean Crest; US News considers it the best elementary school in the school district. 57% of Ocean View students test at or above the proficiency level in reading, 10 percentage points higher than the state rate.

A soccer team at San Ysidro Middle School

Ocean View Elementary students then attend San Ysidro Middle School (SYMS), which is just south of Ocean Crest. SYMS is one of the most diverse schools in the San Diego area, with 97.6% of students identifying as Hispanic or Latino.

San Ysidro Middle School students then attend San Ysidro High School, managed by the Sweetwater School District. San Ysidro High School is well known for its award-winning robotics team. There are no notable private schools, colleges, or universities in Ocean Crest. The San Ysidro Library, a branch of the San Diego Public Library, is the closest library to Ocean View Hills.

Is Ocean Crest Safe?

Here are Ocean Crest's latest crime rates:

  • Overall crime rate: 3,464 offenses per 100,000 people (54.1% higher than the San Diego crime rate, 21.8% higher than the California rate, 49.1% higher than the national rate)
  • Violent crime rate: 663 crimes per 100,000 people (53.8% higher than the San Diego crime rate, 79.2% higher than the national rate)
  • Property crime rate: 2,801 offenses per 100,000 residents (54.1% higher than the city rate, 43.4% higher than the national rate)

While Ocean Crest has some unsafe areas, you can find plenty of safe places to live in Ocean View Hills. A San Diego crime map reveals that very few major crimes happen in Ocean View Hills on a regular basis. The crimes that do occur are minor and non-violent property crimes like shoplifting. Most people living in Ocean Crest never experience crime. The San Diego Police Department employs 1,846 police officers who respond to emergencies in Ocean Crest.

Ocean Crest San Diego Real Estate

Ocean Crest has a competitive but diverse real estate market. According to Redfin, the median price of Ocean Crest San Diego homes for sale is $705,000. The median price per square foot is $435. The median price of Ocean Crest homes for sale has risen by 5.7% since 2023, though the median price per square foot has fallen by 0.9%.

Ocean Crest San Diego has a mixture of single-family homes, townhomes, and condos for sale. The median price of single-family homes is $927,000. 96 single-family homes were sold in Ocean Crest in 2023. Townhomes have a median price of $650,000, while condos have a median price of $605,000. 67 Ocean Crest townhomes were sold in 2023, while 107 condos were sold in the same year. In total, 270 homes for sale were sold in Ocean Crest in 2023, with the average new home spending a median of 25 days on the market.

Nearly all properties for sale in Ocean Crest were built in the last 25 years. They contain modern and classy features like newly installed wood floors, kitchens with stainless steel appliances, and interior designs with neutral paint schemes. Most properties have magnificent views overlooking the ocean or countryside. You can buy a stunning home for sale for less than $1 million.

You can also purchase an exquisite three story condominium or an urban inspired townhome. Many condos and townhomes have at least two bedrooms, high ceilings, and a well equipped kitchen for people who enjoy cooking. Most condos are available for around $700,000, including four-bedroom condos covering over 2,000 square feet.

A bedroom at Greenfield Village

According to RentCafe, Ocean Crest apartments have an average cost of $2,624 a month, roughly $900 above the national average. 89% of Ocean Crest apartments cost at least $2,000 a month. A few notable apartment complexes are based in Ocean Crest. Greenfield Village Apartments offers one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartments. The units at Greenfield Village Apartments contain full-sized kitchens that you can adjust to your personal style, wood-burning fireplaces, and walk-in closets. You have endless options for updated features, including eco-friendly window coverings. One-bedroom apartments start at $2,241 a month.

You're going to love living in Ocean Crest! The family-friendly community is full of beautiful homes for sale, friendly neighbors, and fun attractions. Moving to Ocean Crest is also easy and fun. Republic Moving has the best San Diego CA movers, with over 50 years of experience. Call 619-591-0079 for a free estimate for top Ocean Crest movers now.

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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