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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

National City, CA
Real Estate & Demographic Data






National City profile


Living in National City



National City is a larger medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of California. With a population of 55,550 people and 14 associated neighborhoods, National City is the 163rd largest community in California.

Housing costs in National City are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in California.

National City is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

Like elsewhere in America, most people in National City use a private automobile to get to work. But notably, a substantial number of National City‘s citizens do make use of public transit in their daily commute, primarily riding the bus. This helps more people get to work with less air pollution, and require fewer highways to get them there.

In terms of college education, the citizens of National City rank slightly lower than the national average. 15.92% of adults 25 and older in National City have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree, while 21.84% of adults have a 4-year degree or higher in the average American community.

The per capita income in National City in 2022 was $25,574, which is lower middle income relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $102,296 for a family of four. However, National City contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

National City is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call National City home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. People of Hispanic or Latino origin are the most prevalent group in National City, accounting for 64.91% of the city’s residents (people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race). The greatest number of National City residents report their race to be Asian, followed by White. Important ancestries of people in National City include Irish, German, English, Italian, and Ethiopian.

National City also has a high percentage of its population that was born in another country: 38.28%.

The most common language spoken in National City is Spanish. Other important languages spoken here include English and Tagalog.