San Diego/Compare
Point Loma vs Uptown
Point Loma and Uptown are two official community planning areas in San Diego. Point Loma is the calmer Part I map (89 vs 26). Point Loma wins the errand count. Uptown has the lower ACS median ($2,117).
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 | Point Loma | Uptown |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 89 | 26 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 51 | 22 |
| Cost fit | 99 | 100 |
| Vibe | 56 | 13 |
| Median rent | $2,521 | $2,117 |
| Median home | $1,451,440 | $1,135,056 |
| Population | 42,761 | 41,741 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 10 min |
| Commute to UTC | 26 min | 26 min |
| Commute to Mission Valley | 20 min | 12 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Point Loma | Uptown |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 46% | 66% |
| Median age | 39.3 | 42.2 |
| Median income | $139K | $109K |
| Part I per 1k | 11.4 | 25.6 |
| Groceries / 800m | 18 | 17 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 88 | 118 |
| Parks / 800m | 328 | 22 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Diego city. Up 70% since 2014. Pt Loma is 9% above the 2024 city median. Uptown is 8% 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 Point Loma if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the cafes and the night. Safety is 89 vs 26. Vibe is 56 vs 13. Walk is 51 vs 22. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Uptown if you want the cafes and the night and the rent gap is the point. Vibe is 13 vs 56. ACS median rent is $2,117 vs $2,521. 10 vs 16 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Point Loma
Point Loma and Liberty Station are searches. The official plan is Peninsula. Sunset Cliffs is the same polygon, not a second one. Home median is $1,451,440. Violent Part I is 2.2 per 1,000 and property is 9.2, a calmer read than the beach grids. The high park count is the point and the shoreline mapped as parks. 46% rent.
$2,521 median rent · safety 89 · walk 51
Uptown
Hillcrest, Mission Hills, and Bankers Hill are searches inside one plan. The official name is Uptown. Hillcrest is the night; the west side is houses. Median age is 42.2 and the home median is $1,135,056. Violent Part I is 5.7 per 1,000. Property is 19.9.
$2,117 median rent · safety 26 · walk 22
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Point Loma or Uptown?
Uptown is the lower ACS median: $2,521 vs $2,117. About 66% rent in Uptown vs 46% in Point Loma. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Point Loma more walkable than Uptown?
Point Loma wins the errand count (walk 51 vs 22). Groceries inside 800 meters: 18 vs 17. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Point Loma or Uptown?
Point Loma is the calmer Part I read (89 vs 26). Combined rate 11.4 vs 25.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Point Loma or Uptown?
Point Loma leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 39.3 vs 42.2. Uptown has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from Point Loma to Downtown, 10 from Uptown. Uptown is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community planning area that is not Point Loma or Uptown: Ocean Beach. Newport Avenue and the pier. The official plan is Ocean Beach. 80% of households rent. Rent is $2,266. Violent Part I is 7.1 per 1,000, higher than the beach plan to the north, and property is 16.4. A small grid with a loud end.
Scores are relative among official San Diego community planning areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.