Located in the state of California, Carlsbad is a mid-sized city with a population of 112,008 inhabitants. The majority of Carlsbad residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Asian and Black. 80% of the people in Carlsbad (over the age of 15) are married and 58% have kids under the age of eighteen. Knowing that, it’s safe to say that this area could be a great place for other families to lay down roots.
Living in Carlsbad can be a good experience for anyone relocating to the town. Having said that, in the state of California, there are many incredible places to live, so choose wisely! Finding the best places to live in Carlsbad and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes amenities, crime, cost of living, weather, employment and other important metrics.
Carlsbad has a livability score of 79 out of 100 and is ranked #93 in California and #2,038 in the USA. Based on this score, Carlsbad would be considered a very livable city! Another exciting tidbit, is that Carlsbad ranks better than 90% of all US cities! If we consider each of the categories individually, we see that Carlsbad ranks well for amenities (A+), crime (A-), weather (B+), education (A+) and employment (B+). On a less positive note, Carlsbad does not have favorable grades for the following: cost of living (F). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.
Based on the proximity of local amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, librairies, etc., Carlsbad has received a higher than average score for its local amenities. If you’re planning on relocating and making this area your permanent home, it’s nice to know that there is an ample amount of amenities and things to do within walking distance or a short drive. Here are some of the more popular things to do in Carlsbad: Legoland California, Carlsbad State Beach, and Carlsbad Village.
The average school test scores in Carlsbad are 67%. This far exceeds the national average and ensures that this educational system will provide your children with the skills and the tools they need to thrive.
Assuming that Carlsbad meets all of your requirements, the next most important item to examine is the affordability of real estate in Carlsbad. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Carlsbad are simply unattainable. The median home price for Carlsbad homes is $674,400, which is 64.8% higher than the California average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Carlsbad, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 6.9, which is 7.8% higher than the California average. Year over year appreciation rates for homes in the Carlsbad area were 5.3% and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 7.5%. Why is this important? Knowing the appreciation rates for any area is a quick and easy way to determine if you will see a solid return on your investment.
| Statistic | Carlsbad | California | National |
| Average one way commute | 29min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 77.1% | 73.5% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 6.2% | 10.6% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 2.0% | 5.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.4% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 1.5% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 11.7% | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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