CA Sea Change Atlas
CA Sea Change Atlas
County Profiles San Diego County
Data as of 2026-10-22

Sea level rise · San Diego County, CA

Sea level rise

Visualize sea level rise exposure with this snapshot. Consider incorporating this data into all community planning strategies. In many communities, rising sea levels are already increasing the impacts of high tide flooding and storm surge events.

Projections for the San Diego tide gauge, assigned to San Diego County · Exposure at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 ft above MHHW

In this profile

  1. People at Risk 01
  2. Flooded Facilities Can't Provide Critical Services 02
  3. Being Underwater Is Not a Good Business Plan 03
  4. Creating a Better Future: Yes, It Can Be Done 04
  5. When Is the Time to Act? Now! 05
  6. Digging Deeper 06
  7. About this data 07

People at Risk

Rising population numbers exacerbate potential flooding risk; impacts can be even greater when social vulnerability factors (age, income, capabilities) are involved, as these citizens may not be able to adequately prepare and respond.

View on map for People at Risk: opens the sea level rise layer and population density for San Diego County in a new tab

0.2%

(5,109 people) of San Diego County’s total population lives in areas exposed to just 2 ft of sea level rise. As is already the case in many parts of the country, these areas are the first to experience impacts.

Residents exposed at each increment of sea level rise.

Population: 2 ft 5,109, 4 ft 10,934, 6 ft 22,299, 8 ft 36,014, 10 ft 51,880. Aged 65 and over: 2 ft 682, 4 ft 1,636, 6 ft 3,404, 8 ft 5,343, 10 ft 7,351. Below the poverty line: 2 ft 537, 4 ft 1,181, 6 ft 2,127, 8 ft 3,395, 10 ft 5,148. 0 20k 40k 60k 5,109 Population 682 Aged 65 and over 537 Below the poverty line
Sea level rise
2 ft

Residents exposed at each increment of sea level rise: data table

Category2 ft4 ft6 ft8 ft10 ft
Population, ocean-connected3,9247,48016,77034,16250,673
Population, including low-lying areas5,10910,93422,29936,01451,880
Aged 65 and over, ocean-connected5081,0862,7375,2317,187
Aged 65 and over, including low-lying areas6821,6363,4045,3437,351
Below the poverty line, ocean-connected4198491,5353,2624,998
Below the poverty line, including low-lying areas5371,1812,1273,3955,148
Sources Census ACS 5-year estimates (2020–2024) (2024) Census 2020 tabulation blocks (TIGERweb) (2020) NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer inundation extents (2026)

Flooded Facilities Can't Provide Critical Services

Fire and police stations. Hospitals. Shelters. These facilities play a central role in response and recovery. Understanding future exposure can help reduce damages and the conditions that make these services unavailable.

View on map for Flooded Facilities Can't Provide Critical Services: opens the sea level rise layer and critical facilities for San Diego County in a new tab

0%

(0 of 1,149 facilities) of San Diego County’s critical facilities are in areas exposed to just 2 ft of sea level rise. These areas are the first to experience impacts.

Facilities exposed at each increment of sea level rise.

Schools (834 total): 2 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 4 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 6 ft 0 exposed (1 with low-lying areas), 8 ft 3 exposed (3 with low-lying areas), 10 ft 5 exposed (5 with low-lying areas). Police stations (55 total): 2 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 4 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 6 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 8 ft 1 exposed (1 with low-lying areas), 10 ft 3 exposed (3 with low-lying areas). Fire stations (220 total): 2 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 4 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 6 ft 1 exposed (1 with low-lying areas), 8 ft 4 exposed (4 with low-lying areas), 10 ft 7 exposed (7 with low-lying areas). Medical facilities (40 total): 2 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 4 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 6 ft 0 exposed (0 with low-lying areas), 8 ft 1 exposed (1 with low-lying areas), 10 ft 2 exposed (2 with low-lying areas). 0 200 400 600 800 0 0 0 0 Number of facilities of each type Schools Police stations Fire stations Medical facilities
Sea level rise
2 ft

Facilities exposed at each increment of sea level rise: data table

CategoryTotal2 ft exposed4 ft exposed6 ft exposed8 ft exposed10 ft exposed
Schools83400035
Schools, including low-lying areas83400135
Police stations5500013
Police stations, including low-lying areas5500013
Fire stations22000147
Fire stations, including low-lying areas22000147
Medical facilities4000012
Medical facilities, including low-lying areas4000012
Sources USGS National Structures Dataset (2026-07-30) NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer inundation extents (2026)

Being Underwater Is Not a Good Business Plan

Flood-related losses of services, revenues, and salaries can hit a community hard.

View on map for Being Underwater Is Not a Good Business Plan: opens the sea level rise layer and jobs density for San Diego County in a new tab

0.3%

(4,719 jobs) of San Diego County’s jobs are in areas exposed to just 2 ft of sea level rise.

Jobs in areas exposed at each increment of sea level rise.

2 ft: Ocean-connected 4,214 jobs, Additional, in low-lying areas 505 jobs. 4 ft: Ocean-connected 6,908 jobs, Additional, in low-lying areas 2,374 jobs. 6 ft: Ocean-connected 19,778 jobs, Additional, in low-lying areas 5,229 jobs. 8 ft: Ocean-connected 41,639 jobs, Additional, in low-lying areas 2,505 jobs. 10 ft: Ocean-connected 60,620 jobs, Additional, in low-lying areas 608 jobs. Total jobs 0 20k 40k 60k 4,719 9,282 25,007 44,144 61,228 2 ft 4 ft 6 ft 8 ft 10 ft

Jobs in areas exposed at each increment of sea level rise: data table

CategoryOcean-connectedAdditional, in low-lying areas
2 ft4,214 jobs505 jobs
4 ft6,908 jobs2,374 jobs
6 ft19,778 jobs5,229 jobs
8 ft41,639 jobs2,505 jobs
10 ft60,620 jobs608 jobs
Sources LEHD LODES8 workplace area characteristics (2023) Census 2020 tabulation blocks (TIGERweb) (2020) NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer inundation extents (2026)

Creating a Better Future: Yes, It Can Be Done

Make it a goal: more natural areas (wetlands, forests, parks, dunes, etc.) to absorb floodwaters and protect the community, and less development in flood-prone areas. Consider not only today’s floodplain, but also the floodplain extent projected for the future.

View on map for Creating a Better Future: Yes, It Can Be Done: opens the sea level rise layer and natural areas for San Diego County in a new tab

48.8%

(2.1 of 4.3 square miles) of the land inundated in San Diego County at 2 ft of sea level rise would be natural: wetland or upland.

Land cover inundated at each increment of sea level rise.

2 ft: Wetlands 2 sq mi, Upland 0.1 sq mi, Other 2.2 sq mi. 4 ft: Wetlands 3.2 sq mi, Upland 0.3 sq mi, Other 4 sq mi. 6 ft: Wetlands 4.1 sq mi, Upland 0.6 sq mi, Other 8.1 sq mi. 8 ft: Wetlands 4.8 sq mi, Upland 0.9 sq mi, Other 13.8 sq mi. 10 ft: Wetlands 5.4 sq mi, Upland 1.2 sq mi, Other 18.9 sq mi. % natural 0 5 10 15 20 25 48.8% 46.7% 36.7% 29.2% 25.9%Square miles inundated 2 ft 4 ft 6 ft 8 ft 10 ft

Land cover inundated at each increment of sea level rise: data table

CategoryWetlandsUplandOther
2 ft2 sq mi0.1 sq mi2.2 sq mi
4 ft3.2 sq mi0.3 sq mi4 sq mi
6 ft4.1 sq mi0.6 sq mi8.1 sq mi
8 ft4.8 sq mi0.9 sq mi13.8 sq mi
10 ft5.4 sq mi1.2 sq mi18.9 sq mi
Sources NOAA C-CAP regional land cover (1996–2021) NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer inundation extents (2026)

When Is the Time to Act? Now!

Because a number of factors are involved, sea level rise projections are often expressed as scenarios. For projects involving structures with a long lifespan or where a loss would be catastrophic (power plants, ports, hospitals), the higher sea level rise scenarios should be considered. For projects with a shorter lifespan (bike paths, golf courses, parks), lower sea level rise scenarios may be appropriate.

Projections at the San Diego gauge, by scenario

Feet above 2000, by year

Projected sea level rise at the San Diego tide gauge, 2000 to 2150, by scenario Feet of sea level rise above 2000, for the Intermediate, Intermediate-High and High scenarios. The year each increment is reached is in the table. 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100 2120 2140 4 ft 6 ft 8 ft 10 ft 2 ft Intermediate reaches 2 ft in 2082 Intermediate-High reaches 2 ft in 2066 High reaches 2 ft in 2060
Sea level rise
2 ft

2 ft is reached in:

Intermediate
2082
Intermediate-High
2066
High
2060

Feet above 2000, in 2050 and 2100

Projected sea level rise at the San Diego tide gauge in 2050 and 2100, by scenario Feet above 2000. 2050: Intermediate 0.8¤ ft, Intermediate-High 1.1 ft, High 1.3 ft. 2100: Intermediate 3.2 ft, Intermediate-High 4.9 ft, High 6.7 ft. 0 2 4 6 8 0.8¤ 1.1 1.3 2050 3.2 4.9 6.7 2100

¤ Under 1 ft, the lowest level the map shows.

Year each increment is reached

Sea level riseIntermediateIntermediate-HighHigh
2 ft208220662060
4 ft211220912079
6 ft214821142095
8 ftafter 215021452110
10 ftafter 2150after 21502130
Sources California Ocean Protection Council, State of California Sea Level Rise Guidance: 2024 Science & Policy Update, Appendix 2 (2024)

Digging Deeper

Go further with San Diego County's sea level rise in the atlas's other tools.

See San Diego County on the map

Opens the map on the county, highlighted, with the sea level rise layer switched on.

Compare the flood and sea level rise resources

Explore descriptions fo the different resources available, including those listed in the OPC guidance.

About this data

Data, methods and citation

Snapshot
2026-10-22 · all snapshots
Methodology
Version 1 · what changed
Tide gauge
San Diego (OPC 2024, Appendix 2)
Scenarios
Intermediate, Intermediate-High, High

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Recommended citation

California Sea Change Atlas. (2026, October 22). San Diego County coastal county profile: Sea level rise. https://seachangeatlas.org/county-profiles/county/san-diego/2026-10-22/sea-level-rise/

SourcePeriod coveredRetrieved
Census ACS 5-year estimates (2020–2024)20242026-10-22
Census 2020 tabulation blocks (TIGERweb)20202026-10-22
NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer inundation extents20262026-10-22
USGS National Structures Dataset2026-07-302026-10-22
LEHD LODES8 workplace area characteristics20232026-10-22
NOAA C-CAP regional land cover1996-01-01 to 2021-12-312026-10-22
California Ocean Protection Council, State of California Sea Level Rise Guidance: 2024 Science & Policy Update, Appendix 220242026-10-22