San Diego, California, and Aurora, Colorado, offer unique lifestyles, each with their unique charms and challenges. This comparison provides a comprehensive view of life in these two cities, considering factors such as crime and safety, weather, cost of living, education, and more. Whether you're planning to move or just visit, this guide will give you an understanding of what each city has to offer.
Distance between
San Diego, CA and
Aurora, CO : 836.0 miles
San Diego's population is larger by 255%. Its population has grown by 158,211 people (12.9%) since 2000. The population of Aurora has grown by 112,954 people (40.9%) during that time.
Both cities have their share of crime, but overall, San Diego has a lower crime rate than Aurora. While San Diego's crime rate is higher than the national average, it's safer than 32% of U.S. cities. On the other hand, Aurora's crime rate is higher than 86% of Colorado's cities and towns. Both cities prioritize safety and have community policing initiatives aimed at reducing crime.
City-data.com crime index counts serious crimes and violent crime more heavily. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 301.1)
City-data.com crime index counts serious crimes and violent crime more heavily. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 301.1)
Sex Offenders
According to our data, there are 1,334 registered sex offenders living in San Diego and 1,048 registered sex offenders living in . The ratio of residents to sex offenders in San Diego is 1,054 to 1; the ratio in Aurora is 346 to 1. The number of registered sex offenders compared to the number of residents is a lot smaller in San Diego than in Aurora.
Cost of Living
Living in San Diego is significantly more expensive than in Aurora. This mainly stems from high housing costs in San Diego, but food, transportation, and healthcare are also higher. However, San Diego also has a higher median income, somewhat offsetting the increased cost of living.
Income Tax
In California, the state income tax is progressive, ranging from 1% to 13.30%. Colorado has a flat state income tax of 4.63%, which can be more favorable depending on your income.
Property Tax
Property tax rates in Aurora are generally higher than in San Diego. However, because property values are significantly higher in San Diego, the actual dollar amount paid by homeowners will usually be higher.
Sales Tax
Sales tax in San Diego is 7.75%, while in Aurora it's significantly higher at 8.5%. However, Colorado has a lower state sales tax than California.
Income
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Estimated median household income
$93,042
$71,647
Estimated per capita income
$48,380
$35,054
Cost of living index (U.S. average is 100)
126.4
109.4
If you make $50,000 in Aurora, you will have to make $57,770 in San Diego to maintain the same standard of living.
Geographical Conditions
San Diego has miles of beaches, cliffs, and rolling hills, offering a variety of outdoor activities. In contrast, Aurora is located on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain, providing breathtaking views and nearby mountainous recreational activities.
San Diego is home to some reputed higher education institutions, including University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University. Conversely, Aurora’s education system is not as robust, with Community College of Aurora being the main institution.
San Diego has a more diverse economy, with significant sectors including healthcare, education, defense, tourism, and telecommunication. On the other hand, Aurora's economy is more reliant on healthcare and retail. Despite this, both cities have similar unemployment rates.
Biggest Employers
Healthcare and education provide the largest number of jobs in both cities. In San Diego, the top employers are the U.S. Navy, UC San Diego, and Sharp Healthcare, while in Aurora top employers include the University of Colorado Hospital and the Children's Hospital Colorado.
In San Diego (San Diego County), 52.6% voted for Democrats and 45.0% for Republicans in 2012 Presidential Election. In Aurora (Adams County), 57.3% voted for Democrats and 40.4% for Republicans.
Elections
Type
Democrats
Republicans
Other
Year
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
2020
60.3%
57.1%
37.5%
40.7%
2.1%
2.2%
2016
56.3%
50.1%
36.6%
41.6%
7.1%
8.3%
2012
52.6%
57.3%
45.0%
40.4%
2.4%
2.3%
2008
54.2%
58.5%
44.0%
40.1%
1.8%
1.4%
2004
46.7%
50.7%
52.9%
48.4%
0.4%
0.9%
2000
45.8%
50.3%
49.8%
44.2%
4.5%
5.5%
1996
44.1%
51.3%
45.6%
38.9%
10.3%
9.8%
Breakdown of population affiliated with a religious congregation
Type
Adherents
Congregations
Religion
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
CATHOLIC CHURCH
25.9%
16.0%
6.7%
4.5%
SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
1.1%
0.7%
12.0%
7.8%
MUSLIM ESTIMATE
0.7%
0.1%
1.1%
0.8%
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
0.5%
0.4%
2.0%
3.3%
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
0.4%
0.1%
2.0%
1.2%
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
0.4%
0.4%
2.0%
2.5%
LUTHERAN CHURCH
0.4%
0.7%
2.2%
3.3%
Weather
San Diego offers a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and dry summers, while Aurora sees a semi-arid climate with four distinct seasons. Aurora's winters can be quite harsh with heavy snowfall, while San Diego enjoys sunshine nearly year-round, making it an attractive place for those who love outdoor activities.
Weather and climate
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Temperature - Average
64.4°F
49.9°F
Humidity - Average morning or afternoon humidity
74%
50.6%
Humidity - Differences between morning and afternoon humidity
22%
20%
Humidity - Maximum monthly morning or afternoon humidity
80%
55%
Humidity - Minimum monthly morning or afternoon humidity
58%
35%
Precipitation - Yearly average
11 in
16.9 in
Snowfall - Yearly average
0 in
114 in
Clouds - Number of days clear of clouds
24.3%
19.2%
Sunshine amount - Average
74.8%
75.6%
Sunshine amount - Differences during a year
19%
10%
Sunshine amount - Maximum monthly
75%
74%
Sunshine amount - Minimum monthly
56%
64%
Wind speed - Average
6.9 mph
8.6 mph
Average climate in San Diego, California
Average climate in Aurora, Colorado
Air pollution
Type
AQI
CO
NO2
OZONE
PB
PM10
PM25
SO2
Year
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
San Diego
Aurora
2018
101
99
0.53
0.37
11.2
21.5
32.6
31.3
0.007
N/A
N/A
29.2
10.5
8.5
0.1
0.7
2017
115
95
0.63
0.37
12.7
21.9
32.7
31.1
0.007
N/A
N/A
22.0
10.8
8.5
0.1
0.9
2016
105
90
0.46
0.42
13.0
24.0
30.4
30.7
0.006
N/A
N/A
22.6
11.4
8.1
0.1
1.0
2015
111
101
0.43
0.44
13.2
22.8
29.9
29.5
0.005
N/A
N/A
20.6
11.9
9.5
0.1
1.1
2014
105
94
0.44
0.42
11.6
21.8
31.1
29.6
0.007
N/A
N/A
22.5
11.1
10.1
0.1
1.3
2013
138
84
0.50
0.39
12.4
19.6
27.4
29.9
0.019
N/A
N/A
21.9
12.3
N/A
0.2
1.4
2012
110
90
0.53
0.35
12.7
18.9
28.0
30.8
0.019
N/A
N/A
24.2
13.6
N/A
0.2
1.2
2011
122
91
0.51
0.34
13.5
18.1
29.0
30.9
0.034
N/A
N/A
23.8
14.0
N/A
1.5
1.5
2010
109
81
0.52
0.41
14.0
16.3
29.3
28.8
0.019
N/A
N/A
26.6
13.9
N/A
1.0
1.0
2009
121
79
0.64
0.37
15.6
14.1
26.9
27.1
0.014
0.005
N/A
22.6
15.1
N/A
2.7
1.3
2008
127
85
0.71
0.41
16.1
17.3
28.4
28.8
N/A
0.008
67.3
25.5
N/A
N/A
2.6
1.6
2007
157
96
0.71
0.42
16.4
20.6
28.0
25.4
0.012
0.007
64.6
28.8
N/A
N/A
2.8
1.2
2006
123
89
0.81
0.50
18.9
19.0
27.1
25.0
0.056
0.027
64.8
28.0
N/A
N/A
3.4
1.4
2005
112
86
0.90
0.57
19.2
21.3
24.4
22.5
0.049
0.109
N/A
29.6
N/A
N/A
3.7
1.5
2004
120
82
0.93
0.61
18.4
21.2
25.9
21.4
0.055
0.037
N/A
28.6
N/A
N/A
4.6
1.8
2003
124
106
0.88
0.62
19.4
21.2
25.4
23.1
0.049
0.040
N/A
32.6
N/A
N/A
3.8
1.9
2002
125
86
0.86
0.64
20.9
19.2
25.9
22.8
0.039
0.028
N/A
35.7
N/A
N/A
3.6
2.5
2001
132
95
0.93
0.79
20.4
24.0
26.5
20.4
0.048
0.030
N/A
32.6
N/A
N/A
3.4
2.6
2000
134
93
1.02
0.77
22.3
13.8
23.8
21.4
0.054
0.033
N/A
12.2
N/A
N/A
3.6
2.1
Natural disasters
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Tornado activity compared to U.S. average
6.7%
138.7%
Earthquake activity compared to U.S. average
5,835%
796.4%
Natural disasters compared to U.S. average
39%
11%
Transportation
San Diego’s extensive public transit system makes getting around the city easy, but commutes can be long due to traffic. Aurora, while having less developed public transport, benefits from an extensive highway system and light rail connection to Denver.
Transport
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Amtrak stations
1
0
Amtrak stations nearby
2
2
FAA registered aircraft
852
138
FAA registered aircraft manufacturers and dealers
33
19
Means of transportation to work
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Bicycle
0.6%
0.6%
Bus
2%
1.7%
Carpooled
9.4%
9.3%
Car alone
81.7%
84.4%
Ferryboat
0.1%
0%
Motorcycle
0.3%
0.1%
Railroad
0.5%
0.1%
Subway
0.1%
0.1%
Walked
3.6%
2.5%
Average travel time to work
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Average
27.4 min
28.3 min
Other means
22.7 min
26.9 min
Public transportation
45.7 min
50.5 min
Private vehicle occupancy
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Average
1.2
1.2
Drove alone
89.5%
85.1%
In 2 person carpool
7.6%
10%
In 3 person carpool
1.8%
2.8%
In 4 person carpool
0.4%
1.5%
In 5-6 person carpool
0.5%
0.3%
In 7+ person carpool
0.2%
0.2%
How many people usually rode to work in the car, truck or van.
Real Estate
The real estate market in San Diego is much hotter and more expensive than in Aurora. Median home prices in San Diego are more than double those in Aurora. Rent prices are also notably higher in San Diego.
Neighborhoods
San Diego has trendy beachfront communities such as La Jolla and Gaslamp Quarter, while Aurora boasts family-friendly neighborhoods like Tallyn's Reach. Each city offers unique neighborhood experiences for both locals and tourists.
Houses and residents
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Houses
555,456
149,636
Average household size (people)
2.6
2.7
Median year apartment built
1980
1986
Median year house/condo built
1977
1984
Length of stay in the house since moving in
14.1 years
10.4 years
Houses occupied
521,000 (93.8%)
140,003 (93.6%)
Houses occupied by owners
251,507 (48.3%)
89,615 (64%)
Houses occupied by renters
269,493 (51.7%)
50,388 (36%)
Median rent asked for vacant for-rent units
$2,096
$2,036
Median monthly housing costs
$2,044
$1,526
Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos
$957,871
$725,445
Estimated median house or condo value
$768,800
$411,400
Median numbers of rooms
4.6
5.5
Median number of rooms in apartments
3.7
3.9
Median number of rooms in houses and condos
5.9
6.5
Median house price - detached houses
Over $1,000,000
$500,029
Median house price - in 2-unit structures
Over $1,000,000
$384,060
Median house price - in 3-to-4-unit structures
$529,375
$254,381
Median house price - in 5 or more unit structures
$543,091
$231,026
Median house price - mobile homes
$134,064
$130,226
Median house price - occupied boats, rvs, vans etc.
$219,865
$160,380
Median house price - Townhouses or other attached units
$696,014
$471,483
Median house price - All housing units
$941,291
$476,379
Median house age
42
36
Renting percentage
51.7%
40.1%
Housing density (houses/condos per square mile)
1,712.6
1,050.1
House value disparities
23.6%
23.6%
Household income disparities
42.3%
41.5%
Median household income for houses/condes with a mortgage
$138,584
$99,433
Median household income for apartments without a mortgage
$97,588
$63,316
Housing units without a mortgage
2,803 (1.6%)
424 (0.6%)
Housing units with both a second mortgage and home equity loan
12,495 (6.9%)
5,246 (7.8%)
Housing units with a mortgage
177,643 (98.4%)
66,791 (99.4%)
Housing units with a home equity loan
694 (0.4%)
176 (0.3%)
Housing units with a second mortgage
16,654 (9.2%)
6,860 (10.2%)
House/condo owner moved in on average (years ago)
11
7
House/condo renter moved in on average (years ago)
1
1
Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities
0.8%
1%
Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities
0.3%
0.6%
Housing units in structures
Housing units in structures
San Diego
Aurora
One, detached
43.4%
52.6%
One, attached
9.9%
11.9%
Two
1.9%
0.2%
3 or 4
6.0%
4.2%
5 to 9
9.3%
7.1%
10 to 19
7.4%
11.0%
20 to 49
6.3%
5.5%
50 or more
14.6%
5.7%
Mobile homes
1.0%
1.7%
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business
39,709
13,677
State government workers
29,438
5,134
Unpaid family workers
808
0
Industries and Occupations
The dominant industries in San Diego are defence, education, healthcare, and tourism. In Aurora, the healthcare industry dominates, followed by retail trade and professional services.
Both cities offer good healthcare facilities with several renowned hospitals. While San Diego host several top specialists and research facilities, Aurora is known for its Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado Hospital.
Health (county statistics)
Type
San Diego
Aurora
General health status score of residents in this county from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)
San Diego's infrastructure is more developed, featuring multiple highways, public transportation options, and a major international airport. Aurora's infrastructure is less developed but is continuously improving, benefiting from its proximity to Denver.
Infrastructure
Type
San Diego
Aurora
Hospitals
26
4
TV stations
13
15
Bank branches located here
255
77
Bank institutions located here
40
19
Main business address for public companies
92
1
Drinking water stations with no reported violations in the past
5
1
Drinking water stations with reported violations in the past
HMDA - Conventional home purchase loans - Applications denied
Year
San Diego
Aurora
1999
3,865
1,737
2000
2,257
1,460
2001
1,754
1,056
2002
2,118
635
2003
5,074
1,276
2004
7,646
2,052
2005
8,409
3,087
2006
7,551
2,880
2007
5,741
1,693
2008
2,876
782
2009
1,675
302
Culture and Food
San Diego is renowned for its diverse cultures, vibrant culinary scene with influence from Mexican cuisine, and various fairs and festivals. On the other hand, Aurora has a budding culinary scene featuring less diversity but unique farm-to-table experiences and food markets.
Sports Teams
San Diego has a vibrant sports scene, home to the San Diego Padres of the MLB. However, Aurora, devoid of major league teams, is in proximity to Denver, which hosts the Denver Broncos (NFL), Colorado Rockies (MLB), and Denver Nuggets (NBA).
San Diego, CA
Aurora, CO
San Diego, CA and 
Aurora, CO : 836.0 miles
