What is the rental yield in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California?

The gross yield in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California is 3.7%. That sits alongside pricing about 1% below the city median and 19% above the state median, with prices up 4.1% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 68.

How has Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California performed over the past year?

Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California has seen prices rise 4.1% over the past year. The neighborhood is priced about 1% below the city median and 19% above the state median, with a gross yield of 3.7% and a Red Flag score of 68.

How walkable is Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California?

Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California has walkability of 75, which is relatively strong. Education is in the 37th percentile, gross yield is 3.7%, and prices are up 4.1% over the past year. The Red Flag score of 68 remains an important risk metric.

How does Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California compare to San Diego?

Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California is about 1% below San Diego’s median price, while also sitting 19% above the state median. It has a gross yield of 3.7%, walkability of 75, education in the 37th percentile, and a Red Flag score of 68.

Neighborhood

Kearny Mesa

San Diego, California US

Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California is a mixed investment profile: pricing is about 1% below the city median and 19% above the state median, with a gross yield of 3.7% and prices up 4.1% over the past year. The area combines walkability of 75 with education in the 37th percentile, while the Red Flag score of 68 points to a moderate risk backdrop that offsets the stronger mobility score.

AI Summary•Updated May 2026

Area

5.87 mi²

ZIP Code

92123

County

San Diego County

State

California

Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024

Verified Price · Median Sale

$994,705

YoY+4.1%

Gross Rental Yield

3.7%

Listed rent · ZORI annualized

Red Flag Index

High

68 / 100

Walkability Score

Very Walkable

OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile

Education Score

37 / 100

Limited · better than 37% of U.S. districts

Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy

AI Score

Limited

DistrictScore attractiveness · national model

Kearny Mesa Property Prices & Rental Yield

Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Kearny Mesa, San Diego.

Unlock the Kearny Mesa 12-month price trend

See the full Verified vs Listed price history — free with a DistrictScore account.

Market Economics Snapshot

May 2026

Metric	Value	YoY
Median Sale Price	$994,705	+4.1%
Price / Sq Ft (Verified)	$669/sqft	+5.3%
Asking Rent (Median)	$3,076/mo	+0.6%
Gross Rental Yield	3.7%	—
Liquidity Score	19 / 100	Low
Homes Sold (Period)	34	-26.1%

Is Kearny Mesa Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk

FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited California crime context.

Red Flag Breakdown

68 / 100

High Risk

Composite is weighted by expected impact — frequent low-damage hazards (hail, wind) weigh less than flood or wildfire.

Flood100Very High

Wildfire100Very High

Earthquake100Very High

Hail60High

Tornado40Moderate

Heat40Moderate

Hurricane20Low

Strong Wind20Low

8/8 hazards scored · FEMA NRI v1.20

Crime (state-level): California averaged 25.6 crimes and 4.9 violent per 1,000 residents (-8.9% YoY) in 2024(FBI UCR). Compare the state to the country, not states as a ranking — full Safety & Crime data lives on the state page.

Unlock the full risk report for Kearny Mesa

Tract-level hazard heatmap & parcel detail with Pro

Unlock the Kearny Mesa hazard breakdown

See all eight FEMA hazard scores — free with a DistrictScore account.

What Stands Out AI Insight

Appreciating market — +4.1% sale-price YoY

Highly walkable neighborhood — score 75/100

Dense amenities — 176 dining & 19 grocery options nearby

Flood risk is Very High (100/100)

Wildfire risk is Very High (100/100)

Insights are generated from Kearny Mesa's live DistrictScore metrics.

Kearny Mesa Environment & Safety

Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (California-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.

Air Quality — PM2.5

2015–2024

6.6 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-6.7% since 2015

EPA 9WHO 5

20152024

Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the Kearny Mesa centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 72% of U.S. neighborhoods.

California Crime Trend

FBI UCR

20132024

All crimes / 1k

Violent / 1k

Year	Crimes / 1k	Violent / 1k	YoY
2024	25.6	4.9	-8.9%
2023	28.3	5.1	-0.7%
2022	28.6	5.0	+8.0%
2021	26.5	4.8	+1.9%
2020	25.8	4.4	-7.3%
2019	27.8	4.4	—

Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Kearny Mesa inherits the California figures.

Radon Potential

EPA

Zone 3

Zone 3 — Lowest potential · Kearny Mesa

EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.

Environmental Hazards

EPA / BTS

Industrial odor17 nearbyVery High

Aviation noise64 dBHigh

Point-source screening near Kearny Mesa: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.

Walkability & Amenities in Kearny Mesa

Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.

Walkability & Amenities

OpenStreetMap POI

75

Very Walkable

Walkability Score

19

Grocery

176

Dining

6

Schools

2

Universities

5

Hospitals

1

Pharmacies

6

Parks

0

Rail Transit

0

Coworking

POI counts are amenities within Kearny Mesa's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.

Kearny Mesa vs San Diego vs California

How Kearny Mesa benchmarks against its city and state medians.

Benchmark vs City & State

In Kearny Mesa, the median sale price sits in line with the median for San Diego neighborhoods and about 20% above the statewide median. Gross rental yield is 3.7%, against 3.6% for San Diego neighborhoods and 3.7% statewide. Over the past 12 months, prices rose 4.1%. Transaction liquidity sits below the median for San Diego neighborhoods and below the statewide median.

Area	Median / Sq Ft	Gross Yield	Liquidity
Kearny Mesa	$669/sqft	3.7%	19
San Diego	$673/sqft	3.6%	31
California	$559/sqft	3.7%	28

Unlock the Kearny Mesa benchmark

Compare Kearny Mesa against San Diego and California medians — free with a DistrictScore account.

Buying Property in the US as a Foreigner

Federal & California tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.

Buying as a Foreigner

US Tax & Ownership

Applies to everyone7

Capital Gains (Federal)

Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).

Property Tax

Property tax: ~0.69% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).

State Income Tax

State income tax up to 13.3%; rental income is taxed at these rates.

State Capital Gains

Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income at state rates.

Transfer Tax

Real estate transfer tax: documentary transfer tax $0.55 per $500 + local.

Assessment Cap

Prop 13 caps assessed-value growth at 2%/yr; property is reassessed to market value when you buy.

Mansion Tax / Rent Control

No statewide mansion tax (LA has a local one); statewide rent control caps increases at 5%+CPI (AB 1482).

US citizens & tax residents8

Primary-Home Exclusion

Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.

1031 Like-Kind Exchange

A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.

Depreciation Recapture

Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).

Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.

Rental Income (Resident)

Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.

Senior & Veteran Exemptions

Disabled-veteran property-tax exemption (~$161,083 in 2025, more if low-income); senior programs available.

1031 State Conformity

California conforms to 1031 but claws back deferred CA-source gain (Form FTB 3840) if you move out of state.

Foreign buyers (non-residents)5

FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)

FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.

Non-Resident Capital Gains

Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.

Non-Resident Rental Tax

Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).

Estate Tax (Non-Resident)

Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.

ITIN Requirement

Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.

Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor

FIRPTA, ITIN & California property-tax guidance for foreign buyers

Latest San Diego Real-Estate News

New Fed chairman may leave mortgage rates mostly unchanged

Guaranteed Rate • Jun 18, 2026

Household real estate wealth hits record $48.7 trillion

Eye On Housing • Jun 18, 2026

U.S. commercial property prices hit record as deal patterns shift

Altus Group • Jun 18, 2026

Kearny Mesa Real Estate FAQ

Kearny Mesa, San Diego, California shows a mixed profile. Pricing is about 1% below the city median and 19% above the state median, gross yield is 3.7%, and prices are up 4.1% over the past year. The Red Flag score of 68 suggests a moderate risk level.

Neighborhoods near Kearny Mesa

Compare Kearny Mesa with nearby neighborhoods in San Diego.

Unlock deeper insights on Kearny Mesa

Deeper data. Smarter decisions. Stronger returns.

Full Risk Reports

Tract-level hazards

Investment Score

AI-driven analysis

Export & Reports

PDF & Excel

Priority Support

Fast-track help

Get Pro Access7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.