I get this question all the time. “I’m moving to North County, San Diego, where should I live?” In this video I’ll be breaking down the different areas in North County along with their price points, schools, outdoor activity areas, entertainment and dining spots and more.
Affordable Housing
So where is North County exactly? San Diego is broken down into Central San Diego, South San Diego and finally, North and East County. So which areas offer the most economical rates on housing? The bottom tip of North county has some of the most expensive houses, but as soon as you start heading up north and east, rates get better. The general trend is that once you’ve crossed Escondido, you begin to find far more affordable properties. Oceanside is the second most affordable coastal city in all of Southern California.
Where Will Our Kids Go To School?
The general rule of thumb is that the more expensive the area, the better the school district is. You can find a wealth of information at greatschools.org. The Delmar and Solana beach areas offer great schools. South Carlsbad and Poway are known for having some of the best schools in San Diego. San Marcos school district has High Tech High, which is also very well-known.
Good Entertainment and Night Spots?
Most of the higher-end restaurants are located all along the coast. Old Escondido and San Marcos have some nice places to dine while Vista Village is home to some amazing breweries. The coast highway going up to Oceanside is full of great spots for dining and entertainment. Downtown Encinitas has an abundant nightlife scene with bars and fine dining as well. Leucadia has more of a laid-back restaurant set with a lot of healthy options as well. Other than that, there are some lovely places in Carlsbad village and near Legoland. Oceanside has been ranked #3 for the best restaurant scene in all of San Diego so be sure to hit that area!
The Best Outdoor Spaces
North County is home to a ton of parks which are perfect for getting outdoors. While there are great hikes all throughout San Diego, San Marcos is especially known for some great trails. As soon as you head inland into Escondido and Elfin Forrest, you can find some great hiking spots as well. Torrey Pines is of course, one of the most famous hikes in all of San Diego located right at the southern tip of North County. Carlsbad offers some of the best beaches, complete with a really long boardwalk stretching from Tamarack to Carlsbad village. Oceanside beaches are great as well, but have diminished over the years offering less sand and more rock. The moonlight beach in Encinitas offers a lovely view of the bluffs and homes above. Lastly, Del Mar has a stunning beach where you can hike down the bluffs by using the stairs that lead to the beach.