San Diego County Life Expectancy Reaches 81.5 Years in 2024 as Mortality Patterns Evolve
Life expectancy rises locally, while the composition of deaths continues to change
San Diego County’s life expectancy at birth reached 81.5 years in 2024, a gain from an estimated 77 years for babies born in 1990. The 2024 figure places the county slightly above California’s overall life expectancy (81.2 years) and above the U.S. average (79.0 years) for the same year.
Public health analysts treat life expectancy as a summary measure of mortality across all ages. Even as the county’s overall estimate rose, the latest data show persistent differences by sex, race and ethnicity, and geography—highlighting how improvements at the countywide level can coexist with uneven outcomes across communities.
Large gaps by sex and race/ethnicity persist
In 2024, females in San Diego County had a life expectancy of 84.0 years, compared with 79.0 years for males—about a five-year gap.
- Asian residents: 87.6 years
- Hispanic residents: 82.3 years
- White residents: 80.7 years
- Black residents: 75.2 years
The difference between the highest and lowest group-level estimates exceeded a decade. These estimates are calculated from age-specific death rates and reflect mortality patterns observed in 2024 rather than forecasting individual lifespans.
Geography remains a strong predictor inside the county
Life expectancy varied widely among subregional areas in 2024. Coronado recorded the highest estimate at 87.2 years, while Lemon Grove recorded the lowest at 78.7 years—an 8.5-year gap. By broader region, the North Coastal area had the highest life expectancy at 84.5 years, while the East region had the lowest at 79.9 years.
A single countywide number can mask substantial differences in mortality outcomes between neighboring communities.
Leading causes of death show a shift away from pandemic-era patterns
The county’s leading causes of death data for 2020–2024 show both stability at the top and notable movement in mid-ranked causes. Cancer remained the leading underlying cause of death in 2024 (5,046 deaths, 22.0%), followed by diseases of the heart (4,706 deaths, 20.5%).
COVID-19, which ranked third in 2020 and 2021, continued to fall in 2024, ranking 13th (255 deaths, 1.1%). Meanwhile, cerebrovascular diseases ranked third in 2024 (1,589 deaths, 6.9%), and accidents/unintentional injuries ranked fourth (1,521 deaths, 6.6%). Diabetes mellitus ranked sixth (948 deaths, 4.1%).
Overall deaths declined from earlier pandemic years
Total deaths among San Diego County residents decreased across the period shown, from 26,168 in 2021 to 22,960 in 2024. Public health reporting notes that the pandemic years were associated with increased all-cause mortality and that subsequent years reflect changing patterns in mortality as COVID-19’s contribution waned.
These shifts in causes of death—alongside declines in total deaths from earlier peak years—help explain why life expectancy has risen, even as the county continues to report substantial disparities across demographic groups and communities.