Carlsbad is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California, United States. The city is 35 miles (56 km) north of downtown San Diego and 87 miles (140 km) south of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 114,746. Carlsbad is a popular tourist destination and home to many businesses in the golf industry.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Carlsbad ranks

All →

#48Most active in CA #59Most remote workers in CA #52Most trails in CA All CA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code92008, 92009, 92010

Area codeSign in to add

Living in Carlsbad

Housing in Carlsbad

$1.59M▼ 15.9% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Carlsbad home is worth about $1,593,000, down 15.9% in a year, 108% above the California typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market27

Sale-to-list98.4%

Sold in May107

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Carlsbad

C⁺

Safety Grade C+

Carlsbad reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 57% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 83%.

Violent crime per 1,000

Carlsbad 2.1

California 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Carlsbad 10.8

California 18.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Carlsbad

A⁺

Health Grade A+

Healthier than 96% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with California

22better than CA·1worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 9 are too close to call.

Conditions 5▲ 1▼ 6 close Habits 3▲ 1 close Care 5▲ 2 close Mind 5▲ 0 close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

4.5%Fewer uninsured adultsCA 10.6% · better 8.5%Fewer adults facing food insecurityCA 17.9% · better 9.4%More adults who have had cancerCA 6.4% · worse

Care nearby

Tri-City Medical CenterOceanside · 5 mi · ER

Truecare Vista Way Health Center Ste 200Oceanside · 3.9 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalShortage · part of Carlsbad

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Carlsbad · CMS · HRSAHealth in Carlsbad →

Natural hazards in Carlsbad

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🏚️ Earthquakes

14Does Carlsbad flood?paid flood claims since 1980 7Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Carlsbad MapCarlsbad vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Carlsbad →

Schools in Carlsbad

All Carlsbad schools →

A⁻

School Grade A-

The public schools Carlsbad’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 75% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

DistrictCarlsbad UnifiedSchools32

Carrillo ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 725 students La Costa Meadows ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 725 students Hope ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 659 students Pacific Rim ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 642 students Aviara Oaks ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 612 students La Costa Heights ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 552 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CA. Ratings are from neighbors.