% of Population on Food Stamps or SNAP (Last 12 Months), by Zip Code (ZCTA5) — San Diego Metro

NOTE: Gray indicates insufficient data or a suppressed estimate.

The highest SNAP participation rates in the San Diego metro concentrate in two distinct clusters: the southeastern inland areas around El Cajon, Santee, and National City, where rates reach 15–25% or higher, and a small pocket near National City approaching 50%. Coastal communities from Encinitas southward through central San Diego consistently show the lowest participation rates, generally below 5%, creating a sharp east-west gradient in food assistance reliance. The far northeastern exurban zip codes display moderately low rates despite their distance from the coast, suggesting that income levels in those areas diverge from the pattern seen in other inland communities closer to the urban core.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS

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