Living in
“Affordable” by California standards, this San Diego suburb is the site of a new community developed with fire preparedness in mind.
Nestled in a valley in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains about 30 miles from both San Diego and the nearest Pacific beach, Escondido, Calif., has grown from an agricultural community known for its grapes and avocados into a town that attracts people looking for a more affordable version of the Southern California lifestyle.
It’s hotter than the coastal cities and is known for its traffic, both downsides. But Gina Mancuso, a real estate agent with eXp Realty of California, said government investments in traffic abatement, such as freeway express lanes, have brought the average commute to San Diego or nearby Carlsbad, Calif., to less than 30 minutes.
Location: San Diego County, 30 miles north of San Diego, 100 miles south of Los Angeles
Population: 148,119 (U.S. Census Bureau estimate)
Area: 37 square miles
Housing: 52 percent homeownership rate
The vibe: This diverse town, founded in 1888, has a walkable downtown, parks, lakes, wineries and a center for the arts.
However, Escondido, which translates from Spanish to “hidden,” can’t hide from the high risk of wildfire in the region. To address the problem, the homebuilder KB Home is constructing 64 homes in its new Dixon Trail development that meet high levels of fire preparedness developed by researchers at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. A community of single-family homes, one-third of which have already sold, Dixon Trail has houses that range from about 2,000 to 3,000 square feet and have base prices from $1.067 million to $1.342 million.
A 2024 demonstration of fire-resilient building inspired the project, said Steve Ruffner, president and regional general manager for KB Home Coastal in San Diego.
“One home built to current code burned to the ground in 25 minutes after they blew embers at it — the I.B.H.S. house didn’t burn at all,” he said.
The homes in the development incorporate fire-resistant walls, doors, windows, fences and roofs, and a five-foot ember-resistant yard surrounding each home. Still, the homes appear like those in any other upscale new community. Mr. Ruffner estimates the fire insurance premiums for the homes are 50 percent to 75 percent lower than those for homes without the fire-resilient features.
Affordability and proximity to the beach and San Diego drove most Escondido residents to the city, but about 19 percent of its population works as well as lives there, Ms. Mancuso said.
The average rent in San Diego County is $3,100 per month, compared with $2,665 in Escondido. The median list price for homes in nearby cities such as Encinitas is $2,391,333, and $1,616,300 in Carlsbad, compared with $935,833 in Escondido.
“Escondido is one of the most affordable towns in San Diego County and there’s been a lot of new housing built there in recent years,” Ms. Mancuso said. “A lot of families are attracted to Escondido because you can get a bigger home or a larger lot than in other parts of the county, but there are also older people who are downsizing, and college students who live there while they attend nearby schools.”
Single-family homes and townhouses represent roughly 60 percent of Escondido’s housing stock. More than one-third of the housing is multifamily and about 8 percent are mobile homes clustered in established communities in central Escondido. There’s a mixture of homes throughout the city, Ms. Mancuso said, but more affordable older and smaller homes tend to be in the center of the city, with new developments of larger and more expensive homes on the outskirts.
Whether settling in the city center or along the fringes, people are drawn by access to the outdoor lifestyle and culture, Ms. Mancuso said.
“There are really good wineries, farmer’s markets, golf courses and parks for hiking, tennis and horseback riding,” Ms. Mancuso said. “We also have shows at the California Center for the Arts, festivals, and every Friday in the summer there’s a classic car gathering downtown on Grand Avenue.”
Still curious what living in Escondido is like? Here’s more information to get you started:
Going Out and About
Driving is the most common way to get around Escondido and to nearby towns and cities.