277,289
Population
Sunny Days: 261
68100 Affordability
90100 Schools
58100 Diversity
85100 Safety
Chula Vista, California
Lemon Capital Of The World!
Best Thing About Chula Vista
Perfect Weather!
If you ask anyone what their ideal temperature would be, they’re going to say “the warmth of the south without the humidity” or “the temperate climate of the midwest or northeast, but no snow,” which is an awfully long-winded way of saying “San Diego.” Chula Vista is all the beauty and beautiful weather of San Diego without the astronomical price tag. The weather is beautiful all-year round, giving you plenty of time to explore one of Chula’s many parks and beautiful ocean-front views!
Locals like to say it's the ideal place to raise a family: I have lived here for almost 28 years and like many have been commuting to San Diego for work. Chula Vista is great for raising a family. It's definitely different than places south of it like South San Diego, Imperial Beach and San Ysidro and from places north of it like National City. It has the usual grocery stores or health stores like Sprouts and Grocery Outlet, great for low cost organic food and specialty grocery stores like Northgate Market. It also has authentic Mexican restaurants and bakeries like La Moreliana plus great Chinese restaurants. There are also some fabulous restaurants like D’Lish if you like homemade pasta, the famous Tacos El Gordo if you like delicious tacos, various great seafood places, etc.
Worst Thing About Chula Vista
Commute
Because there aren’t a ton of work opportunities in Chula Vista, a lot of people choose to work north of the city in San Diego. On the flip side, there are a lot of people who were working or relocated for work to San Diego and couldn’t rationalize the San Diego price tags, so they went with Chula Vista. These two things make the average commute much longer than the national average.
Local on commuting: Honestly, commuting from chula vista is not worth it. the traffic is so bad and gas prices right now are high. I commuted for a little bit and every day I felt so exhausted that I never wanted to do any work when I got back home. if you have a class at 9:30, leaving the house at 7:30am would work, I think I did that too. it doesn’t really save you from traffic though. traffic is usually from like 7-9am and then 3-6:30pm
Lifestyle of Chula Vista
Suburb Life
Despite the massive growth Chula Vista has seen, it’s still widely known as a suburb of San Diego. While there is a lot to do downtown, CV is full of families and planned neighborhoods with HOAs. 3rd Ave has a ton of great breweries and restaurants, but it’s not considered a walkable city and you’ll need a car to get anywhere. Residents of Chula Vista definitely take advantage of the close proximity to nature and the beaches for their weekend getaways.
If you want to get a sense of the activities that happen here check out the Chula Vista Calendar of Events: https://www.chulavistaca.gov/residents/cultural-arts/events/
Workstyle of Chula Vista
Chula Vista, being so close to a larger city like San Diego, is mostly a commuter city. That said, CV is very small-business minded and community-centered. Besides small-business owners, the majority of people are employed by local school districts and the local medical centers. Chula Vista has been growing steadily since 2013 and tourism plays a huge part in their growing economy.
Why Move Here Now?
Perfect for Zoom-life
Chula Vista is a perfect city for someone looking to escape big city life or who has remote work capabilities. It has impeccable weather, reasonably priced houses, and an ocean view. If you’re looking for a diverse community with a ton of outdoor activities, look no further than Chula Vista!
Living in Chula Vista
Neighborhoods in Chula Vista
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Neighborhoods
Chula Vista, lovingly called Chula by locals, is split up into East and West Chula Vista, split by I-805. The biggest difference between the two, that might be unfamiliar to anyone outside of California, is that West Chula Vista does not have Mello-Roos taxes. Mello-Roos are special districts established by local governments as a means of obtaining additional public funding. Regardless of the taxes, Chula Vista is a diverse, growing community that has a variety of housing options from apartments, to condos, to single family homes and large community developments.
Millenia
Young Professionals
Chula Vista is popular amongst young professionals who don’t mind a bit more of a commute to get to work in San Diego. 3rd Ave gives you a chance to hang out and experience nightlife in CV, while San Diego is only a 20 minute drive away in off hours. Check out these neighborhoods if you’re a WFH-er or don’t mind the commute:
- Millenia
- Downtown
Otay Ranch
Young Families
Young Families will love the many parks and great schools Chula Vista has to offer. You can have your pick of planned communities with spacious homes, near parks and amenities for the whole family to enjoy. Oh, and amazing weather for the kiddos to play outside all day long.
- Otay Ranch
- Bonita
East Lake
Established Families
Established families will love Chula Vista for the amenities and home prices for huge home relative to San Diego. There are homes with large yards in great communities that have nature trails, mountain views, all while being close to highways or amenities. Just a few miles from the beaches of the Pacific you get the best of both worlds here.
- East Lake
- Bonita