San Diego/Compare
Carmel Valley vs University
Carmel Valley and University are two official community planning areas in San Diego. Carmel Valley is the calmer Part I map (100 vs 32). University wins the errand count. University has the lower ACS median ($2,728).
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 | University |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 100 | 32 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 13 | 100 |
| Cost fit | 74 | 92 |
| Vibe | 19 | 100 |
| Median rent | $3,374 | $2,728 |
| Median home | $1,556,207 | $1,169,730 |
| Population | 31,288 | 67,653 |
| Commute to Downtown | 32 min | 26 min |
| Commute to UTC | 10 min | 6 min |
| Commute to Mission Valley | 22 min | 16 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Carmel Valley | University |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 39% | 63% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 31.7 |
| Median income | $200K | $112K |
| Part I per 1k | 6.1 | 23.8 |
| Groceries / 800m | 8 | 21 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 4 | 254 |
| Parks / 800m | 104 | 554 |
| 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. UTC is 18% above 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 32. Carmel Valley is tagged family on this map; University is not. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick University if you want the errands on foot and you want the cafes and the night. Walk is 100 vs 13. Vibe is 100 vs 19. ACS median rent is $2,728 vs $3,374. 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
University
UTC and University City are the searches. UCSD sits in this plan, not in the coast village. The official name is University. Median age is 31.7, so this is not a dorm census. Bachelor's share is 76% and rent is $2,728. Cafes are 51 and bars are 3. Property Part I is 22.3 per 1,000 — the malls and the offices write a lot of that. The park count is canyon and campus pieces, not a shop on every block. Violent is 1.5.
$2,728 median rent · safety 32 · walk 100
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Carmel Valley or University?
University is the lower ACS median: $3,374 vs $2,728. About 63% rent in University vs 39% in Carmel Valley. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Carmel Valley more walkable than University?
University wins the errand count (walk 13 vs 100). Groceries inside 800 meters: 8 vs 21. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Carmel Valley or University?
Carmel Valley is the calmer Part I read (100 vs 32). Combined rate 6.1 vs 23.8 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Carmel Valley or University?
Carmel Valley leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 40.2 vs 31.7. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
32 minutes from Carmel Valley to Downtown, 26 from University. University is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community planning area that is not Carmel Valley or University: La Jolla. Prospect and the coves. Oldest median age in this set, 52.2, and only 29% of households rent. The home median is $1,908,428. Violent Part I is 1.6 per 1,000. Property is 16.9, which is the shops as much as the side streets. The inland campus is a different plan.
Scores are relative among official San Diego community planning areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.