Places › California › San Clemente

Living in San Clemente, CA

Suburb in California

San Clemente is a suburb in California, home to about 64,000 people, with 3.7 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is San Clemente a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
  • Mild summers: highs around 79°F
  • Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Big job market: about 3.7 million people live within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.56M, and rent is $4,390 a month
  • Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.65% property tax
  • Fewer family amenities than most places

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how San Clemente ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
64,000
3.7 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
68°F / 79°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$1.56M
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$4,390/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
114
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.65% property tax
Safety
0.4× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
7 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
7
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
52%
2 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SNA
22 mi away

Living in San Clemente: common questions

What is the cost of living in San Clemente?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.56M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,390 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 114, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in San Clemente?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.65% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is San Clemente safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in San Clemente?

San Clemente is warm all year: winter days average around 68°F and summer days around 79°F.

Does San Clemente get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.22 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to San Clemente?

The nearest major airport is SNA, about 22 mi away.

How San Clemente scores

Each bar compares San Clemente 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).

🏙️City size Big city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban & suburban mix Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Warm all year Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Moderate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Friendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Apartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Poor
💸Low taxes Below average
💼Job market Excellent
🏥Healthcare Excellent
🎓Education Good
🧸Kids & family Below average
🐕Dog-friendly Excellent
⛰️Outdoors Excellent
🎭Culture Average
🛡️Safety Very safe
🌪️Few natural disasters Excellent
☀️Sunny Excellent
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Excellent

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Is San Clemente right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.