The Town Files

Bostonia, California

Community in San Diego County · population 16,882 (2020 Census)

Map: where Bostonia is in CaliforniaBostonia
Median home
$487,600
Household income
$78,878
Jan low / Jul high
43° / 86°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
34.2

Bostonia is a community of 16,882 people in San Diego County, California. The median home is worth $487,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 91% of California towns, more of a college town than 91% of California towns, better for cycling than 87% of California towns.

How Bostonia ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Bostonia lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement13th pctFamilies8th pctQuiet1st pctWalkability86th pctFirst-time buyers84th pctYoung professionals64th pctVibrancy91st pctHip & trendy59th pctCollege town91st pctUpscale32nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling87th pctTransit79th pctDriving55th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Bostonia is worth $487,600, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.2 times the median household income of $78,878, which is more affordable than 55% of California towns. Median rent is $2,087 a month. 42.3% of households own their home.

Bostonia vs San Diego County vs typical California townBostoniaSan Diego CountyTypical California townHome value$487,600$854,700$596,900Household income$78,878$106,268$91,557Monthly rent$2,087$2,246$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingBostoniaTypical California town
Median home value$487,600$596,900
Median rent$2,087$1,827
Median household income$78,878$91,557
Home value ÷ income6.2×6.4×
Homeownership42.3%67.4%
Median year built19801977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Bostonia

PeopleBostoniaTypical California town
Median age34.240.2
Age 65 and over14.3%17.7%
Under 1826.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher21.9%27.7%
Below the poverty line13.6%10.3%
Veterans8.7%—
Born outside the U.S.16.8%—
Work from home12.8%13.4%
Average commute24.9 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband93.3%93.3%

Weather in Bostonia

July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 42.5°F. About 11.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 57 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 3 nights at or below freezing.

Bostonia monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°69°43°Jan69°44°Feb71°48°Mar75°51°Apr76°56°May81°59°Jun86°63°Jul89°65°Aug87°62°Sep81°56°Oct75°47°Nov69°42°DecPrecipitation (in)2.32.61.90.80.30.10.20.00.10.51.01.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the El Cajon station (1.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bostonia since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 10, 2000 about 9.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 10, 2000.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Bostonia by decade01950s01960s11970s11980s01990s12000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on February 25, 1958.

Severe weather in San Diego County since 1996

Storm events in San Diego County since 1996 by typeHeat89Flood252Drought131Wildfire209Dense Fog225High Surf117High Wind551Heavy Rain140
NOAA Storm Events Database, San Diego County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 138 deaths recorded.

San Diego County has been included in 51 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 19, 2024FloodDR-4758: Severe Storm And Flooding
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
October 16, 2020FireDR-4569: Wildfires
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in San Diego County

San Diego County had 1,536,541 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $82,854 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Bostonia itself the ACS puts it at 7.9%.

Largest industries in San Diego CountyHealth care & social assistan…222,467 jobs · $66,856Hotels & restaurants170,776 jobs · $35,930Professional & technical serv…148,122 jobs · $152,586Retail136,918 jobs · $45,583Manufacturing111,940 jobs · $118,398Administrative & support90,817 jobs · $61,696
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in San Diego County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023San Diego 3.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Bostonia

Bostonia questions

Is Bostonia, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Bostonia scores better for retirees than 13% of California towns and quieter than 1%. 14.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.2).

How much does a house cost in Bostonia?

The median owner-occupied home in Bostonia is valued at $487,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,878, so homes cost about 6.2 times income. Median rent is $2,087 a month.

What is the weather like in Bostonia?

July highs average 86.1°F and January lows 42.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 11.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Bostonia get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Bostonia since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 10, 2000. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Bostonia's Census boundary (GEOID 0607624). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.