A few miles south of downtown San Diego, National City's location along San Diego Naval Base and the Port of San Diego makes it a natural hub for naval and maritime personnel. But it's not just for those in the military. In addition to the convenient employment, National City’s lower prices make it popular with incoming buyers. “It feels like you’re in San Diego, but you can actually find a starter home here, which is getting more and more rare across the county,” says Realtor Paula Gonzalez with Caldwell Banker West, who’s been selling here since 2006. Even though most people move here for work, there’s still plenty of charm and activity in the city center, where late-1800s homes displaying the city’s history are a few blocks from new food halls and coffee shops.
Mid-century minimalist homes make up the majority of housing stock in National City.
National City's historic district features historic homes and museums such as this Victorian.
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Direct access to San Diego Naval Base
San Diego Naval Base and the Port of San Diego occupy the city’s waterfront. The base is the largest on the West Coast and employs almost 40,000 military and civilian workers. The neighboring port is one of the busiest shipping terminals on the coast, which attracts many logistics and distribution businesses. The base and port cover miles of San Diego’s waterfront. Local employees can get to the different entrances by driving on Interstate 5, taking the Light Rail Train from Eighth Street Station or catching the bus at the nearest stop. “The freeway access is a big draw,” says Gonzalez. “You’re 10 minutes from downtown and 10 minutes from the border.” Downtown San Diego is 6 miles north by train or the 5, and San Diego International Airport is also downtown. Paradise Valley Hospital is the nearest large medical facility on the east end of East Fourth Street.
A National City residential neighborhood as seen from above.
MTS serves National City and is a quick way for residents to reach San Diego in minutes.
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Plenty of starter options, old and new
National City’s median home price is around $700,000. Homes at that price are few and far between in downtown San Diego, but there are still plenty in National City. Small cottages and ranch-style homes make up most of the options on the city blocks, and condos and townhouses often start well below the median. A bit more variety can be found around the city center. “The older side of town around the city center has some beautiful older homes,” says Gonzalez. “I recently sold a gorgeous Craftsman that was over 100 years old.” These early-1900s Craftsman and Spanish-style homes often have more yard space, bringing prices closer to $1 million.
Ranch homes are quite common in the established neighborhoods of National City.
Home styles of National City include Spanish Colonial as seen in this stately home.
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Storied restaurants and new food halls in the city center
Most of National City’s dining and activity can be found around the city center. Thoroughfares, like Highland Avenue, have spots steeped in local lore, like Café La Maze. This 1940s steakhouse gained its reputation as a celebrity hangout back in the day, and it still has the red-leather banquettes and portraits to prove it. East Eighth Street is home to newer additions, like Market on 8th, a food hall with stalls serving different beers and bites. The city center also has supermarkets, Latin grocers and seafood markets.
National City's Public Market features dozens of vendors including a sleek coffee shop.
Giant New York Pizza offers pizzas up to 28'' big in Lincoln Acres.
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Community parks and bayfront activity
The city is home to several large community parks and bayfront recreation spaces. Kimball Park provides acres of green space, walking paths and Little League fields in the city center. The city’s Arts Center and Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center also sit on its footprint. Pepper Park is at the south end of the city’s waterfront, where the Sweetwater River meets San Diego Bay. It has a fishing pier, boat launch and a playground. Coronado Beach — a filming site for “Top Gun: Maverick” — is 7 miles across the bay. National City benefits from the San Diego area’s famously temperate climate. Aside from the cloudy morning marine layer, it’s almost always in the 70s and sunny.
Butterfly Park located in the National City neighborhood.
With well-maintained facilities, Las Palmas Park is ideal for picnics and family gatherings.
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Brick Row showcases the city’s history
The city’s older charm is evident on Brick Row. On this meandering block of Avenue A, a row of late-1800s brick rowhouses display gothic revival architecture that’s mostly disappeared in the San Diego area. The larger homes across the way display the period’s variety of architecture, including Queen Anne, Craftsman and Carpenter Gothic designs. The expansive Craftsman anchoring the row of homes is the Frank Kimball House, now a museum exhibiting the city’s history.
These historic, brick row-homes were built in 1887.
New construction condominiums can be found closer to the bay.
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A-minus-rated Sweetwater Union High School District
National City’s public-school pipeline goes through two districts. The National Elementary School District serves students from kindergarten to sixth grade and receives a C overall rating from Niche. Middle and high schools are part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, which earns an A-minus grade from Niche and ranks in the top 10 districts in the San Diego area.
Slightly higher crime than San Diego
The National City Police Department serves the city. According to the department’s last reported statistics in 2022, National City had a violent crime rate of about 5 offenses per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of about 20 per 1,000. These numbers are slightly higher than San Diego’s 2022 reports, which state a violent crime rate of 4 per 1,000 and a property crime rate of 17 per 1,000.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
