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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.

One of the nice things about National City is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

Although the majority of commuting trips in the city are by private automobile, National City is somewhat unusual for a city of its size for having a substantial number of people who use public transportation. For a lot of people, the bus helps to get to and from their jobs every morning, which benefits everyone in the National City area by reducing both traffic and air pollution.

The percentage of adults in National City with college degrees is slightly lower than the national average of 21.84% for all communities. 15.92% of adults in National City have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.

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.