Colombian Population in San Diego County, CA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Colombian population in San Diego County, CA is reported at 9,986 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Several cities in San Diego County - including San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, and others - contribute to the Colombian population, but the total county figure of 9,986 indicates additional presence beyond municipal borders. The sections below explores how Colombian residents are distributed in California and the U.S.

Top 5 cities with the largest Colombian population in San Diego County

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  • 1
    San Diego
    Colombian population in San Diego is 5,519
    0.40% of San Diego population is Colombian
  • 2
    Chula Vista
    Colombian population in Chula Vista is 725
    0.26% of Chula Vista population is Colombian
  • 3
    Oceanside
    Colombian population in Oceanside is 524
    0.30% of Oceanside population is Colombian
  • 4
    El Cajon
    Colombian population in El Cajon is 282
    0.27% of El Cajon population is Colombian
  • 5
    Escondido
    Colombian population in Escondido is 257
    0.17% of Escondido population is Colombian

Overview of Colombian population in San Diego County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document San Diego County with 9,986 Colombian residents (0.3% of 3.3 million total county population), positioning the jurisdiction at the 99th percentile nationally among counties and 94th percentile within California for Colombian population concentrations, despite absolute population figures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS indicate San Diego County's Colombian population of 0.3% exceeds California's state average of 0.28% while remaining below the national average of 0.44%, placing the county above regional demographic benchmarks while below national concentration levels.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data documents San Diego County with 9,986 Colombian residents, representing 9% of California's total Colombian population of 111,214.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey indicate San Diego County's density of 2.4 Colombian Americans per square mile exceeds California's average of 0.71 per square mile by more than triple, establishing the county as a significant concentration center for Colombian demographic communities.
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18 Cities in San Diego County Ranked by Colombian Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] show Colombian populations distributed across multiple cities in the county, led by San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, and El Cajon. The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on current ACS data for 18 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in San Diego County, CA ranked by Colombian population count
Rank by Colombian Population
City
Colombian Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total San Diego County Colombian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 San Diego 5,519 0.40% 55.27%
2 Chula Vista 725 0.26% 7.26%
3 Oceanside 524 0.30% 5.25%
4 El Cajon 282 0.27% 2.82%
5 Escondido 257 0.17% 2.57%
6 Imperial Beach 219 0.85% 2.19%
7 Carlsbad 200 0.17% 2.00%
8 198 0.20% 1.98%
9 185 0.20% 1.85%
10 136 0.23% 1.36%
11 124 0.67% 1.24%
12 63 0.10% 0.63%
13 62 0.11% 0.62%
14 59 0.10% 0.59%
15 55 0.20% 0.55%
16 0 - -
16 0 - -
16 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in San Diego County, CA by their Colombian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Colombian population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Colombian ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Colombian alone, while others identify as Colombian along with another race (such as Colombian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Colombian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Colombian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Colombian alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Colombian .
  2. % of Total San Diego County Colombian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Colombian population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Colombian populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Colombian population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Colombian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.