Families will enjoy the world-class attractions, such as the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World San Diego and LEGOLAND.
City: San Diego
State: California
Best Cities Overall Rank: 25
About San Diego: San Diego is home to the world’s oldest, still working ship, the “Star of India”. The ship was built in 1863 and has completed 21 circumnavigations.
San Diego is California’s second largest city and the eighth largest city in the United States. Families will enjoy the world-class attractions, such as the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World San Diego and LEGOLAND, to name a few. There are also at least 15 museums, about 6,400 restaurants, 92 golf courses, multicultural festivals and celebrations throughout the year. Moms and dads will never run out of places to takes their kids! San Diego’s top four industries are manufacturing, defense, tourism, and agriculture, but the unemployment rate has risen to 11 percent.
County: San Diego
Population: 1,279,329
Official website for city visitors’ bureau/city: Visitor’s bureau website
Newspaper with the largest circulation: San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego blogs:
San Diego‘s Facebook page: Follow San Diego on Facebook
San Diego‘s Twitter page: Follow San Diego on Twitter
Education rank: 92
High School graduation rate 2008: 84.29%
Blue Ribbon Schools, 2003-2009: 4
Blue Ribbon Schools per 100,000 people: 0.31
NEAYC-accredited preschools: 23
NAEYC schools per 100,000 people: 1.79
NAEP State proficiency reading, grade 8: 253
Pupil/Teacher Ratio: 18.8
Total Expenditures Per Student: $11,873
Health rank: 80
Quality children’s hospitals: 1
Hospitals per 100,000 people: 7.82
Quality Pediatricians: 3
Quality Pediatricians per 100,000: 0.23
Average number of Unhealthy Air Quality days between 2006-2008, by county: 2.67
Safety rank: 7
Violent Crimes, 2008: 6,047
Violent Crime Rate per 100,000: 472.67
Sex Offenders: 937
Sex Offenders per 100,000: 73.24
Economy rank: 67
Travel time to work, 2006-2008, in minutes: 22.61
Percent of labor force unemployed, January 2010: 11
Best Performing Cities Job Index: 896.47
Median Home Sale Price: $365,800
5-Year Home Value Index: -6.01%
Percent of homes sold for a loss: 37.88%
Recreation Rank: 6
Parkland acreage, 2008 (includes pools and playgrounds): 39,619
Parkland per 100,000: 3,096.86
