Old Town
Suburban Neighborhood in San Diego, California
San Diego County 92103, 92110
Limited stock of hillside homes
Here, views are typically the selling point. Hillside homes and condos offer scenic sights of the bay and downtown San Diego. Single-family homes range from 1920s Craftsman builds to dramatic, five-bedroom Spanish Revival villas. Depending on size and position in the hills, homes can range between $950,000 and $3.5 million. Condos, on the other hand, typically sell between $600,000 and $1 million. Most units have two bedrooms, though price is highly dependent on square footage. Monthly fees for a community pool and other amenities can get up to $800.The neighborhood is predominantly parkland, and housing availability is consequently limited. Buyers can usually find more options in the surrounding Mission Hills area.
Old Town parks are for locals, too
Many of the 4 million annual visitors to Old Town State Historic Park are locals themselves. San Diegans not only visit the historic exhibits, but enjoy the park passively, setting up camp chairs on the sprawling green plaza or meeting friends for a walk. “This is a great spot to bring family, dogs included, for a nice visit. You can walk, eat, drink and hopefully take something meaningful away,” Pugh says. Up the hill at Presidio Park, residents set up picnic blankets under the canopy of eucalyptus or go for a jog before the marine layer burns off. The park is one of the best places to see Independence Day fireworks, with views of multiple shows across the coastline. “It is a place where San Diegans may not go every week, but every single one of them has some memorable story of Old Town,” Pugh says.Several options within San Diego Unified
Students in Old Town have quite a bit of choice, with several area public schools accepting local children. Grant Elementary in Mission Hills serves transitional kindergarten through eighth grade and earns an A-minus from Niche. Middle schoolers can choose to stay at Grant or transfer to Roosevelt International, a B-plus-rated magnet school next to Balboa Park. Both Point Loma High and San Diego High accept Old Town students and earn an A-minus and A respectively.Celebrating Day of the Dead
Old Town is the site of one of the largest Día de los Muertos celebrations in San Diego, with live music, ofrenda tours, an arts and crafts market and a community altar. The event culminates in a candlelit procession starting with a Danza Azteca performance at Immaculate Conception Church and continuing with a walk to El Campo Santo Cemetery.A rare public transit hub in San Diego
Locals can hop on a trolley, bus or commuter train up the coast at the Old Town Transit Center. The trolley’s green and blue lines deliver riders downtown for work, nights out and Padres games. Residents can hear how close they are to the airport, accessible via the Route 992 bus or the San Diego Flyer free airport shuttle. Still, San Diego is hard to fully experience without a car. The neighborhood sits at the intersection of Interstates 5 and 8.Never far from a fresh tortilla
“The state park, residential and commercial areas are all intertwined,” Pugh says. Sit-down Mexican restaurants like Café Coyote and Casa de Reyes are always overflowing with tourists and locals alike. On weekdays, residents can walk down to Old Town Mexican Café and pick up packs of their hand-pressed flour and corn tortillas.Shopping, dining and bayside strolls are only a couple miles away at Liberty Station. The former naval training center has been transformed into a walkable, green oasis with clothing boutiques, popular spots for brunch and dinner and an eclectic food hall.
For grocery staples, Old Town residents can cross Interstate 5 to find Sprouts, Target and Ralphs.
Thousands of years of Old Town history
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park is an open-air, living history museum offering a window into centuries of California history. This cluster of original and reconstructed adobe homes is commonly referred to as the birthplace of California, a reference to its status as the first Spanish settlement in modern California. However, Kumeyaay Native Americans shaped the landscape well before then, and have ever since. “It was not a solely Spanish colonial town,” says Thomas Pugh, a local resident and historian. “Indigenous and other groups not only interacted in this space, but were vital to its growth and prosperity, despite colonial institutions that limited their movement.” Oral histories at the Junipero Serra Museum and the recently implemented Land of the First People outdoor exhibit remind visitors of the continued impact Kumeyaay people have on San Diego.
Written By
Kayla Solsbak
Photography Contributed By
Stephen Cammell
Video By
Vladislav Sedykh
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Agents Specializing in this Area
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Mick Frasca
Mick Frasca
Compass
(858) 258-9201
26 Total Sales
1 in Old Town
$2,063,500 Price
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Marc Lotzof
Marc Lotzof
Responds QuicklyCompass
(858) 289-0387
105 Total Sales
1 in Old Town
$645,000 Price
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Elizabeth Garcia
Elizabeth Garcia
Coldwell Banker West
(858) 258-9948
57 Total Sales
1 in Old Town
$609,500 Price
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Nikki Amini
Nikki Amini
Responds QuicklyAmerican Dream Homes
(858) 223-3885
22 Total Sales
1 in Old Town
$800,000 Price
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Sophia Metcalf-Slotterbeck
Sophia Metcalf-Slotterbeck
Responds QuicklyeXp Realty of Southern California, Inc.
(760) 385-6072
11 Total Sales
1 in Old Town
$3,110,000 Price
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Janna Hernholm
Janna Hernholm
Responds QuicklyPacific Sotheby's International Realty
(619) 257-4068
128 Total Sales
3 in Old Town
$1.4M - $3.1M Price Range
Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 6th to 8th
- Public
- K to 8th
- Public
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Parks in this Area
Silver Terrace Park
Old Town Plaza
- Trails
- Playground
- Multi-Purpose Field
Heritage Park
- Trails
Presidio Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Trails
Pioneer Park
- Trails
- Playground
- Parking Lot
Presidio Park
- Basketball
- Picnic Area
- Trails
Transit
Airport
San Diego International
5 min drive
Subway
Old Town Transit Center
Train
Old Town Transit Center
Bus
Old Town Transit Center
Bus
Juan St & Harney St
Bus
San Diego (Old Town-Flixbus)
Bus
Taylor St & Sunset St
Bus
San Diego Greyhound
Crime and Safety
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Old Town | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 4 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 4 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 4 | 4 |
| Robbery | 4 | 4 |
| Burglary | 9 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 8 | 4 |
| Larceny | 8 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 6 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Old Town Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Old Town, San Diego sell after 66 days on the market compared to the national average of 50 days. The median sale price for homes in Old Town, San Diego over the last 12 months is $1,441,500, down 4% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$989,888
Median Sale Price
$1,441,500
Median Single Family Sale Price
$1,950,000
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$702,000
Median Change From 1st List Price
0%
Last 12 months Home Sales
10
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
-4%
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$965
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
227
Number of Homes for Sale
3
Median Year Built
1975
Months of Supply
3.60
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
2,187
Above the national average
1,933
Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,009
Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
995
Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
779
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
7,405
Open Houses
-
Saturday, Jun 2111am - 1pm
-
Saturday, Jun 211 - 4pm
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
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Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Renters
Demographics
Total Population
1,168
Median Age
44
Population Density
5 ppl/acre
Population under 18
15.6%
Below the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
20.3%
On par with the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$90,555
Above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$128,461
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
96.4%
College Graduates
53.2%
Above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
19.2%
% Population in Labor Force
53.4%
Below the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
9''
Average Winter Low Temperature
50°F
Average Summer High Temperature
76°F
Annual Snowfall
0''
Area Factors
Very Bikeable
Bike Score®
73
/ 100
Very Walkable
Walk Score®
84
/ 100
Excellent Transit
Transit Score®
71
/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Midway District
Choice blend of harborside and arena amenities near the airport
Middletown
1920s homes and contemporary mansions 2 miles from downtown San Diego
Loma Portal
A friendly suburb near classic San Diego sites
Morena
Single-family homes and condos around the University of San Diego
Liberty Station
Highly walkable planned community across the bay from downtown San Diego
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