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Cost of living, pay and housing

33.08° N · 117.18° W · GEOID 0621916

Elfin Forest

San Diego County, California · part of the San Diego, CA metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_household_income, median_gross_rent

CaliforniaElfin Forest, CAElfin ForestElfin Forest

The short answer

Elfin Forest is home to 592 people. Median household income is $106,268 a year and median rent is $2,246 a month, 25.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $1,950,000, about 18.4x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,246
65% above the median place
Median household income
$106,268
32% above the median place
Median home value
$1,950,000
above the median place (median $319,400)
Unemployment
6.1%
25% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Elfin Forest

  • 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 652 California places.
  • The median home is worth 18.4 years of the median household's income, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 655 California places.
  • Households average 3.25 people, larger than in 94% of places its size.
  • Household income has grown 9.5% a year across the last five survey releases, faster than in 89% of places its size.
  • 56% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 85% of places its size.
01

Moving to Elfin Forest

San Diego County loses about 6.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in110,134
Moved out128,346
Net−18,212

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Riverside County, CA8,42512,708−4,283
Los Angeles County, CA9,2966,906+2,390
Orange County, CA5,8104,787+1,023
Maricopa County, AZ2,6363,877−1,241
Clark County, NV1,8293,142−1,313

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$90K
Leavers$86K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of San Diego County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
0.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into San Diego County report $89,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $86,200.
Income you would need
$89,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,246 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $1,950,000.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 18.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Santa Monica, CA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
0.0%
below the median place (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-6.5
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureElfin ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year10.0%below (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-6.5below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$89,59127% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$86,16723% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 100.0%, 51% above the median place.

Elfin Forest25.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$89,840
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
25.4%
25% above the median place
Home price to income
18.4x
383% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$80,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Elfin Forest, $2,246 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Elfin Forest.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Elfin Forest? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
100.0%
51% above the median place
Median home value1
$1,950,000
above the median place (median $319,400)
Property tax rate1
0.4%
58% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureElfin ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$2,24665% above
Rent to income125.4%25% above
Property tax rate10.4%58% below
Home price to income118.4x383% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure111.911% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,82375% above
HUD area median income4County figure$130,90022% above
Property tax paid (median)1$7,455128% above
Median home value1$1,950,000above (median $319,400)
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure0.7%79% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure53.6%4% above
Homeownership1100.0%51% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure57.8%14% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes1County figure6.3%10% below
Median year built119881% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$68,848
72% above the median place
Jobs6
1,535,067
above the median place (median 150,665)
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureElfin ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1County figure$106,26832% above
Income per person1$68,84872% above
Unemployment1County figure6.1%25% above
Average annual pay6County figure$85,40229% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.1%16% below
Jobs6County figure1,535,067above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate1County figure10.3%5% below
Mean commute1County figure26 min2% above
Works from home1County figure18.7%50% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 100.0%, 8% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
100.0%
8% above the median place
Household size1
3.3
30% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
55.8%
74% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureElfin ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15926646th largest
Median age143.812% above
Bachelor's or higher155.8%74% above
High school or higher194.4%2% above
Household size13.330% above
Born abroad1County figure22.8%158% above
No health insurance1County figure6.4%0% above
Homes with broadband1100.0%8% above
05

Life in Elfin Forest

161 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 18 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars23.6 +13%
Shops28.0 −8%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.1 +24%
Doctors' offices and clinics26.6 +32%
Child care centers2.7 +17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools10
758
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students10
466,146
above the median place (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10
22.6
47% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureElfin ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure758above (median 9)
Public school students10County figure466,146above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10County figure22.647% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure23.613% above
Shops per 10k8County figure28.08% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.124% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure26.632% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.717% above
National Register listings9County figure161above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 100.0, 63% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Elfin Forest. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk12
100.0
63% above the median place
Annual precipitation11
13.0 in
70% below the median place
Good air days13
17.5%
74% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureElfin ForestAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure91°F4% above
January average low11County figure41°F62% above
Average temperature11County figure63°F15% above
Annual precipitation11County figure13.0 in70% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure99.78% above
Hurricane risk12County figure8.388% below
Tornado risk12County figure64.421% below
Wildfire risk12County figure100.063% above
Heat wave risk12County figure98.810% above
Median air quality index13County figure6756% above
Good air days13County figure17.5%74% below
08

Elfin Forest in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$170,938 (2024)$217,000$183,500 to $256,500+4.0%
Median home value$1,950,000 (2024)$2,906,000$2,109,000 to $4,003,000+6.9%

The median home would be worth 13.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 11.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Elfin Forest

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Santa Monica, CA$2,402$114,885Compare
Park City, UT$1,943$133,558Compare
Santa Barbara, CA$2,413$106,182Compare
Beverly Hills, CA$2,830$132,977Compare
Beverly Hills, CASanta Barbara, CAPark City, UTSanta Monica, CAElfin Forest, CAElfin ForestPark CityElfin ForestPark City

Common questions

Is Elfin Forest a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 652 California places. The median home is worth 18.4 years of the median household's income, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 655 California places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Elfin Forest expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 25.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $1,950,000.

What salary do you need to live in Elfin Forest?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $89,840 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Elfin Forest?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Santa Monica, CA, Park City, UT, Santa Barbara, CA and Beverly Hills, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Elfin Forest with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Elfin Forest itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/elfin-forest-california

Citytistics. “Elfin Forest, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/elfin-forest-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.