North San Diego County

North County
Region of the San Diego Metro Area
Oceanside Pier in North County
North County Coastal and Inland cities. (Certain neighborhoods in northern San Diego, such as Del Mar Heights, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, San Pasqual Valley and Rancho Penasquitos, are also considered part of North County.)
Country	United States of America
State	California
County	San Diego
Population	821,496

North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second-most populous region in the county (after San Diego), with an estimated population of 826,985. North County is well known for its affluence, especially in Encinitas, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, and Solana Beach, where house prices range, on average, above one million dollars. Cities along the 78 freeway (Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido) have more mixed incomes.

Beach culture is very prominent in the area, and many of the region's beaches and lagoons are protected areas to help ensure the environment remains pristine.

The name dates to at least the 1970s, when many of the communities in the area were yet to become incorporated cities and local community decisions were made 40 miles away at the county seat. The North County section of San Diego County has historically been the most expensive region of San Diego, with such affluent neighborhoods as Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Carlsbad, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Encinitas, Olivenhain, Rancho Santa Fe, and Solana Beach.

In modern times, North County continues to grow as a highly influential region of Greater San Diego. The top twenty-five employers in San Diego County are closer to the North County city of Carlsbad than San Diego proper.