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San Diego Demographics & Economy
The population of San Diego County consists of approximately 2.85 million residents making it the 15th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The city of San Diego is the sixth largest city in the United States. According to the California Department of Finance San Diego County is projected to have a population of approximately 3.45 million residents by 2010, an increase of approximately 21%. In 1998 San Diego County’s Gross Regional Product was $88.7 billion, a 6.3% increase over the previous year. San Diego’s economy measured by Gross Regional Product ranks it as the world’s 38th largest economy.
San Diego has been recognized as a world leader in biotechnology with the fourth highest concentration of biotech firms in the world, tourism and telecommunications with the third highest concentration of telecommunications firms in the world. Other industries such as defense, electronics, healthcare, international trade, software and manufacturing also have a significant presence in San Diego. Some of the familiar names that are found upon the economic landscape of San Diego are Qualcomm, Gateway Computers, Scripps Research Institute, Sharp Healthcare, Scripps Health, Solar Turbines, UCSD, SPAWAR (US Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command, Peregrine Systems.
San Diego has added over 115,000 jobs in the past three years. The current unemployment rate of approximately 3% is well below both the California average of approximately 4% and National average of 4.9%.
Almost 30% of the work force have college degrees making one of the highest ratios in any city in the United States. This highly educated work force has a median household income of approximately $38,500 per year placing San Diego in the top 10% nationally.
Author: Allen Chitayat
