Measuring Quality of Life in San Diego County

Is our quality of life improving? In what areas can we do better?

Those are questions that the Equinox Project’s San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard aims to answer through its annual tracking of 15 environmental and economic indicators.

For 10 years, the San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard, now driven by The Nonprofit Institute and supported by The San Diego Foundation, has measured and benchmarked several environmental and economic trends throughout the region to ensure San Diego County is on a path to greater health, equity and sustainability for current and future generations.

This year, thanks to efforts by local leaders and organizations, San Diego saw improvements in key areas such as air quality, employment and renewable energy.

However, the Regional Quality of Life Dashboard also revealed that there is still work to be done to improve areas such as housing, water use and overall waste.

These metrics, provide an important resource that helps leaders from all sectors make better decisions and address the most pressing challenges in our region. For example, at The San Diego Foundation, the data and trends uncovered in the Regional Quality of Life Dashboard help inform our programs and educate San Diego philanthropists on our community’s greatest needs.

Paving a Way Forward

A thriving environment, healthy economy and equitable society are all essential components of a strong quality of life in San Diego.

San Diego is the nation’s fifth-largest county and the second-largest county in California. Our current population is around 3.3 million people and estimates predict we will grow to more than 4 million residents by 2050. Most of that growth will be driven by the children and grandchildren of current residents.

As shown in The San Diego Foundation and Climate Education Partners report, San Diego, 2050 Is Calling. How Will We Answer?, 77 percent of San Diego County voters believe that we can have both a clean environment and a strong economy without having to choose one over the other.

While more work is still to be done in certain areas, the positive ratings for many indicators demonstrate how the entire region is progressing toward a more vibrant San Diego.

San Diego leaders are united in the commitment to identifying and pursuing solutions that strengthen quality of life for all San Diegans.

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