Carlsbad

About

As you travel south on Interstate 5, the next city after Oceanside is Carlsbad, the idyllic “Village by the Sea.” Spouses we’ve spoken to awarded this quaint resort city “all the heart emojis,” and we can totally see why.

Its history originates with the native Luiseño people, named by the Spanish after their nearby Mission San Luis Rey. The town of Carlsbad began as a “whistle-stop” on the Southern California Railroad and one industrious local, John Frazier, dug a well to supply water to the locomotives. In the 1880’s, Frazier drilled a second well and had the mineral content of the water tested. When the results indicated that the composition of the water was comparable to one of Europe’s most famous health spas in Karlsbad, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), he knew that he had struck gold. The town was officially named Carlsbad, and the driving industry would be tourism.   

Carlsbad has a walkable, quirky downtown filled with locally owned shops and boutiques, independent restaurants ranging from fine dining to taco stands, and running trails that follow its 7-mile stretch of Pacific coastline. Biking is a favorite pastime, and the city has made a concerted effort to promote walking and cycling by widening bike lanes, creating “walkabouts,” and more roundabouts for vehicles. The town is very family friendly and unpretentious, making it very popular with military families. The schools are very desirable, and the shopping ranges from small mom-and-pop stores to popular chains like Trader Joe’s, Target, and Costco.

Neighbors

Carlsbad is a wonderful retirement town, but you’ll also find many young families in this laid-back beach town. The slow pace, cozy homes, and great schools are attractive to many military families as well. Your neighbors will likely be active and take advantage of the great outdoors and mellow weather. You may find dual income military families here, or those that have decided to spend a little more of their budget for housing to take advantage of living in this picturesque coastal town.

Neighborhood Feel

Carlsbad uses quadrants to reference each area of the city. The Northwest is the oldest section of the city and includes the Downtown Village, the Barrio, and Old Carlsbad. The homes here range from 1950s bungalows brimming with character to elegant, oceanside mansions. The Northeast (east of El Camino Real Highway) is where you’ll find single-family homes and larger lots. There are older neighborhoods alongside a few newer developments. Southeast (south of Palomar Airport Road) is where you’ll find the more modern, master-planned developments in Carlsbad. Southwest is a pricey area with huge, beachfront homes that overlook the Pacific.

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Neighborhood Location

Commute
Camp Pendleton – Main Gate
Drive Time to Gate
15 minutes
By Transit
N/A

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Neighborhood Info

Carlsbad - North County Coastal - Camp Pendleton & MCAS Miramar, CA - gomillie.com

Points of Interest

Carlsbad State Beach

LEGOLAND

Sea Life Aquarium

Magee Park

Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park

Carlsbad Flower Fields

Old Santa Fe Depot

Carlsbad Mineral Water Spa

Carlsbad Skatepark – First modern skatepark in California circa 1976

Alga Norte Community Park

Big Plus

Carlsbad has been a tourist destination since the 1880s and its popularity hasn’t waned a bit over the years. There are over 50 miles of hiking trails in Carlsbad with incredible views and overlooks, several world class golf courses, a restaurant scene even the most discerning foodie will love, and of course—LEGOLAND.

Cost of living and housing in Carlsbad is a bit more “doable” for military families than some of the uber-swanky beach towns farther south; however, you will still be maxing out your BAH. Dual income families will have a little more wiggle room in their budget.

Downtown San Diego is just a short, 30-minute drive down I-5 from Carlsbad. La Jolla is a popular destination and is even closer! If your service member has the potential of being stationed at any of the San Diego area installations before or after their time at Camp Pendleton, this could be a great locale to “split-the-difference” between multiple installations.

You can still find a cozy, family friendly atmosphere in Carlsbad, even though it’s a beach town. Sometimes the beach towns get a little festive, but Carlsbad has a sophisticated nightlife and much slower pace. “Clean”, “safe”, and “welcoming” were just a few of the adjectives we heard over and over from the spouses who live in Carlsbad.

Things to Consider

Though slightly more affordable than other beach towns, Carlsbad is still a pricey locale with affluent neighborhoods and that California cost-of-living. Be sure you’re realistic with your budget and consider all of the expenses beyond rent or your mortgage (utilities, HOAs, Mello-Roos taxes, etc.). We’ve heard it compared to San Clemente in personality, yet slightly more affordable. It’s going to be more expensive than Oceanside or Temecula, though.

Be sure to identify whether or not your potential home has air conditioning. The home cooling situation applies to both on and off post housing, so just keep in mind that utility bills for homes off post can routinely exceed $300. Living near the coast will afford you the coastal breezes, so most people say that not having A/C here isn’t a deal-breaker. Pay close attention to this as you move farther inland with your search.

Carlsbad is a quirky little beach town and a favorite vacation spot, so you’re going to have to deal with tourists. Seek out the “secret” beaches that locals cling to—there are always a few.

Getting to Camp Pendleton involves driving through Oceanside to either the Main Gate or the San Luis Rey Gate. Be mindful of where you or your service member will be reporting for work, though. Camp Pendleton is a massive base, and if the commute is to anything other than the south side of  base or the Mainside, it’s going to be a long drive.

How’s the Market?

The median home value for single family homes in Carlsbad is $803,000 according to the Zillow Home Value Index.

Home Values are forecasted to increase by 1.8% in the coming year.

According to Zillow’s Rental Index, the median rental rate for single-family homes in Carlsbad is $3,299.

There is a tax called Mello-Roos, that you’ll need to get acquainted with if you’ll be buying a home in California. Long story short, some communities have the designation of being a Community Facility District (CFD), and they impose an additional property tax to help pay for schools, roads, utilities, and services like police and fire protection. This Mello-Roos tax is above and beyond your typical property tax, and pair that with potentially multiple HOAs, and you could be priced out of some neighborhoods before you know it. Not all neighborhoods are CFDs and  HOAs can be for the neighborhood and the city as well. Do your research before you set your heart on a house! The fees add up, and you could be spending well above what BAH allows. An experienced AgentHero can help tremendously.

School Scoop

Carlsbad contains 30 primary and secondary schools. One of the best rated schools is La Costa Meadows Elementary School, which has a rating of 10 according to GreatSchools.org. The public schools in Carlsbad belong to San Marcos Unified School District or Carlsbad Unified School District. Carlsbad Unified School District’s average rating is 9, and San Marcos Unified School District’s average rating is an 8. You really can’t go wrong in these districts.

Carlsbad does not have a charter school available as an option, but many of the spouses that we asked said that there are so many quality traditional public schools in the town that there hasn’t been a need for one.

Carlsbad boasts of all-male, tuition-based boarding school, The Army and Navy Academy, for grades 7 through 12 as one of its private school options.

The California Department of Education offers open enrollment and intradistrict choice, meaning your child can attend any school inside or outside their district upon approval and space availability. Students at low-performing schools can attend a different school in their district. Children can also attend any of the highly sought after charter or magnet schools.

Highlighted Areas

Blackrail

Bressi Ranch

All of the La Costa neighborhoods (particularly the Villages of La Costa)

Aviara

Chestnut Hills

Calavera Hills