Living in National City, CA
Suburb in California
National City is a suburb in California, home to about 56,000 people, with 2.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is National City a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 12 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 74°F
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Easy flying: SAN is 7 mi away
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $700k, and rent is $4,000 a month
- Fewer graduates: 17% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how National City ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in National City: common questions
What is the cost of living in National City?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $700k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,000 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 112, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in National City?
California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.62% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is National City safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.6× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in National City?
National City is warm all year: winter days average around 67°F and summer days around 74°F.
Does National City get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.36 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to National City?
The nearest major airport is SAN, about 7 mi away.
How National City scores
Each bar compares National City with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is National City right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.