The Town Files

Crest, California

Community in San Diego County · population 2,828 (2020 Census)

Map: where Crest is in CaliforniaCrest
Median home
$724,500
Household income
$110,000
Jan low / Jul high
43° / 86°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
43.8

Crest is a community of 2,828 people in San Diego County, California. The median home is worth $724,500, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 99% of California towns, better for families than 81% of California towns, quieter than 78% of California towns.

Crest in our rankings:

How Crest 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.

Crest lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement54th pctFamilies81st pctQuiet78th pctWalkability37th pctFirst-time buyers99th pctYoung professionals32nd pctVibrancy41st pctHip & trendy30th pctCollege town69th pctUpscale63rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit34th pctDriving67th 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 Crest is worth $724,500, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.6 times the median household income of $110,000, which is more affordable than 47% of California towns. Median rent is $1,196 a month. 92.7% of households own their home.

Crest vs San Diego County vs typical California townCrestSan Diego CountyTypical California townHome value$724,500$854,700$596,900Household income$110,000$106,268$91,557Monthly rent$1,196$2,246$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingCrestTypical California town
Median home value$724,500$596,900
Median rent$1,196$1,827
Median household income$110,000$91,557
Home value ÷ income6.6×6.4×
Homeownership92.7%67.4%
Median year built19731977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Crest

PeopleCrestTypical California town
Median age43.840.2
Age 65 and over20.0%17.7%
Under 1816.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher28.4%27.7%
Below the poverty line6.4%10.3%
Veterans9.3%—
Born outside the U.S.8.0%—
Work from home11.2%13.4%
Average commute29.0 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband92.9%93.3%

Weather in Crest

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.

Crest 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 (3.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Crest since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on November 29, 2002.

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 Crest itself the ACS puts it at 12.1%.

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 Crest

Crest questions

Is Crest, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Crest scores better for retirees than 54% of California towns and quieter than 78%. 20.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.8).

How much does a house cost in Crest?

The median owner-occupied home in Crest is valued at $724,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $110,000, so homes cost about 6.6 times income. Median rent is $1,196 a month.

What is the weather like in Crest?

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 Crest get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Crest in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Crest's Census boundary (GEOID 0617106). 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 2026-11-12.