San Diego/Compare
Carmel Valley vs Linda Vista
Carmel Valley and Linda Vista are two official community planning areas in San Diego. Carmel Valley is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 21). Walk is a wash (13 vs 13). Linda Vista has the lower ACS median ($2,267).
Data period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · SDPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Oct 2026. ACS and SDPD retrieved 2026-10-14; OSM retrieved 2026-10-14. Editorial copy last revised Sep 2026.
Scores
Fit axes among official San Diego community planning areas.
| Axis | Carmel Valley | Linda Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 21 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 13 | 13 |
| Cost fit | 74 | 100 |
| Vibe | 19 | 7 |
| Median rent | $3,374 | $2,267 |
| Median home | $1,556,207 | $717,082 |
| Population | 31,288 | 35,468 |
| Commute to Downtown | 32 min | 16 min |
| Commute to UTC | 10 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Mission Valley | 22 min | 10 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Carmel Valley | Linda Vista |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 39% | 57% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 34.6 |
| Median income | $200K | $87K |
| Part I per 1k | 6.1 | 30.2 |
| Groceries / 800m | 8 | 9 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 4 | 80 |
| Parks / 800m | 104 | 40 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Diego city. Up 70% since 2014. Carmel V. is 46% above the 2024 city median. Linda V. is 2% below the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Carmel Valley if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the cafes and the night. Safety is 100 vs 21. Vibe is 19 vs 7. Carmel Valley is tagged family on this map; Linda Vista is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Linda Vista if the rent gap is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. ACS median rent is $2,267 vs $3,374. 16 vs 32 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Carmel Valley
Highest income in this set, $199,791, and the highest rent, $3,374. Violent Part I is 0.4 per 1,000, the lowest here. Property is 5.7, also the lowest. Bachelor's share is 83%. OSM transit stops in or near the plan: 4. Houses and a drive. This is not the coast village.
$3,374 median rent · safety 100 · walk 13
Linda Vista
USD is a search on the west side of this plan. The official name is Linda Vista. Home median is $717,082. Property Part I is 25.7 per 1,000, high for a plan that is mostly houses — the commercial edge is inside the same line. Violent is 4.5.
$2,267 median rent · safety 21 · walk 13
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Carmel Valley or Linda Vista?
Linda Vista is the lower ACS median: $3,374 vs $2,267. About 57% rent in Linda Vista vs 39% in Carmel Valley. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Carmel Valley more walkable than Linda Vista?
Walk is basically a tie (13 vs 13). Count groceries if you care: 8 in Carmel Valley vs 9 in Linda Vista, inside 800 meters.
Which is safer on this map, Carmel Valley or Linda Vista?
Carmel Valley is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 21). Combined rate 6.1 vs 30.2 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Carmel Valley or Linda Vista?
Carmel Valley leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 40.2 vs 34.6. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
32 minutes from Carmel Valley to Downtown, 16 from Linda Vista. Linda Vista is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community planning area that is not Carmel Valley or Linda Vista: Pacific Beach. Garnet Avenue is the search. The official plan is Pacific Beach. Rent is $2,427 and the home median is $1,372,211. Violent Part I is 4.5 per 1,000. Property is 18.2. Garnet is the night. The bay side of the same plan is quieter.
Scores are relative among official San Diego community planning areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.