San Diego/Compare
Carmel Valley vs North Park
Carmel Valley and North Park are two official community planning areas in San Diego. Carmel Valley is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 53). North Park wins the errand count. North Park has the lower ACS median ($2,034).
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 | North Park |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 53 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 13 | 21 |
| Cost fit | 74 | 100 |
| Vibe | 19 | 13 |
| Median rent | $3,374 | $2,034 |
| Median home | $1,556,207 | $922,235 |
| Population | 31,288 | 47,597 |
| Commute to Downtown | 32 min | 12 min |
| Commute to UTC | 10 min | 24 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 | North Park |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 39% | 72% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 35.8 |
| Median income | $200K | $101K |
| Part I per 1k | 6.1 | 19.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 8 | 24 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 4 | 93 |
| Parks / 800m | 104 | 15 |
| 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. N. Park is 12% 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 quieter, family-leaning read. Safety is 100 vs 53. Carmel Valley is tagged family on this map; North Park is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick North Park if the rent gap is the point and you want the cafes and the night. ACS median rent is $2,034 vs $3,374. Vibe is 13 vs 19. 12 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
North Park
30th Street is the search. The official plan is North Park. Cafes and houses on the same grid. Rent is $2,034. Violent Part I is 3.2 per 1,000, calmer than the plan to the west. Median age is 35.8.
$2,034 median rent · safety 53 · walk 21
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Carmel Valley or North Park?
North Park is the lower ACS median: $3,374 vs $2,034. About 72% rent in North Park vs 39% in Carmel Valley. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Carmel Valley more walkable than North Park?
North Park wins the errand count (walk 13 vs 21). Groceries inside 800 meters: 8 vs 24. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Carmel Valley or North Park?
Carmel Valley is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 53). Combined rate 6.1 vs 19.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Carmel Valley or North Park?
Carmel Valley leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 40.2 vs 35.8. North Park has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
32 minutes from Carmel Valley to Downtown, 12 from North Park. North Park is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community planning area that is not Carmel Valley or North Park: 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.
Scores are relative among official San Diego community planning areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.