San Diego – Why Go Anywhere Else?

San Diego is located in the southwestern Corner of California on the west coast of the United States, near Mexico. It is the eighth most populous city in the United States, with over 1.3 million people. San Diego is a center of research in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, communications, and computer science. It is also a major presence in health care, manufacturing, finance, shipping, and tourism. San Diego has a land area of 324 square miles. Inhabited for millennia by the Kumeyaay tribe, the area that became San Diego was first explored by the Spanish in the mid 1500’s and became the locale for numerous Spanish missions. Claimed variously by Spain, Mexico, and then ultimately, the United States with the end of the Mexican American War, San Diego experienced substantial growth in population on account of the gold rush of 1848. San Diego County and was incorporated as a city in 1850, the same year California was admitted to the United States. The city saw substantial expansion in U.S. naval activity in the early 1900’s up through the 1950’s. With the end of the Cold War in 1991, San Diego’s economy turned down, and subsequently began to diversify into other areas, such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. San Diego enjoys mild weather year-round, averages 267 days of mostly sunny weather per year, and has 33 different beaches.

The San Diego Economy: Like Everything Else, Sunny

San Diego is a major business and financial center. The city is home to three companies listed on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S companies. Agriculture; biotechnology and life sciences research; computer science; manufacturing of electronics, defense-related products, computer and communications products, and pharmaceutical products; financial and business services; shipping and ship repair; construction; software development; telecommunications wireless research; and travel and tourism are all drivers of the San Diego economy.

Education in San Diego: Smartness in the Sun

Educational attainment among the San Diego populace is ahead of that of the U.S. as a whole. As of 2000, roughly 83% of its residents aged 25 and older had completed high school and roughly 35% had completed college. There are dozens of colleges and universities in San Diego. The University of California at San Diego is a well-known state public university system with over 27,000 students. San Diego State University is another public state institution with over 29,000 students. Among other institutions of higher learning in San Diego are: Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego City College, and San Diego Mesa College.

The Crime Scene in San Diego: Safety in the Sun

In 2009, San Diego ranked as one of the safest large cities in the United States. San Diego’s crime rates generally are on par with other large, well-ranked cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

The San Diego Population and Politics: Growing and Changing

San Diego has a population of approximately 1.4 million people. Its population has been growing modestly, at a rate of 0.7% per year over the past decade. San Diego has been mixed in its political preferences over the past few decades. Among the more than 1.2 million votes cast in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, San Diego voters chose Democratic candidate Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a ratio of 54%-44%.