Carlsbad, CA 1 of 6 Best North County San Diego Retirement Locations

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Ivan Gillis

18 Retirement Locations for Bicyclists

STATE: California

CITY: North San Diego County--Carlsbad (See videos at end of article) (See videos at end of article)

Carlsbad is a seaside resort-town in the North County section of San Diego County, California. The 2009 population estimated by the California Department of Finance was 104,652. Carlsbad was incorporated in 1952, in large part to generate sufficient funding to connect with the water pipeline running through San Diego County, but also to avoid being annexed by Oceanside. It is one of the most expensive coastal cities in North County, San Diego, and one of the highest-income places in the country.

The city has drafted ordinances protecting sensitive wildlife habitat, one of the first such ordinances within the State of California. The city has also promised to protect a certain amount of land within city limits from development of any kind, along with spending significant funds to restore habitats destroyed by newer development projects.

Because of its coastal location, scenic beauty, low population density, thriving commercial sector, abundance of upscale housing, and high performing school districts, Carlsbad is known for its high quality of life. Land is also a premium, thus, real estate is rather expensive even for Southern California. The annual Forbes Magazine ranking of the "Most Expensive ZIP Codes" in the U.S. ranked Carlsbad ZIP codes as some of the most expensive in the nation.

But by the end of 1887, the real estate bubble had burst and land prices slid all throughout San Diego County. The community survived though, due to the agricultural opportunities available. Even today, Carlsbad has a German-American population estimated at 20 percent of residents, among other ethnic and racial groups made the city a diverse one* (According to the United States Census Bureau, the city's ethnic breakdown as of 2000 for zip code 92008 was 84% white, 1% black/African American, 4% Asian, and the balance other ethnicities. Hispanics of any race make up 20% of the population) . The site of John Frazier's original well can still be found at Alt Karlsbad, a replica of a German Hanseatic house, located on Carlsbad Boulevard.

Bicycling Overview & Links:

http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/ca/carlsbad

http://www.carlsbad.com/listings/things_to_do/biking/

Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2007: $79,444 (it was $65,145 in 2000)

Carlsbad:

$79,444

California:

$59,948

Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $690,600 (it was $308,800 in 2000)

Carlsbad:

$690,600

California:

$532,300

Mean prices in 2007: All housing units: $729,496; Detached houses: $836,098; Townhouses or other attached units: $512,626; In 2-unit structures: $647,165; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $521,372; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $454,545; Mobile homes: $130,179

Median gross rent in 2007: $1,386.

2008 cost of living index in Carlsbad: 146.0 (very high, U.S. average is 100)

Geographic:

Elevation: 50 feet

Land area: 37.4 square miles.

Population density: 2549 people per square mile

(average).