ZIP 92024 vs ZIP 92009

This side-by-side compares ZIP 92024 (Encinitas, CA) and ZIP 92009 (Carlsbad, CA) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 92024 has a population of 49,121 at 1,124 people per square mile, while ZIP 92009 has 40,747 at 1,236 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 92024 reports a median household income of $158,507 against $164,182 in ZIP 92009, with per-capita income of $84,032 vs $80,506. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 66.8% in 92024 and 65.9% in 92009. Poverty rate reads 5.8% vs 5.6%, and unemployment 4.8% vs 4.8% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $1,612,000 in 92024 versus $1,368,100 in 92009, with median rent of $2,795 and $3,007 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 67.4% vs 72.3%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.