| Summary | National Percentile | Rank vs Metro |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | 81st | Good |
| Demographics | 14th | Poor |
| Amenities | 32nd | Fair |
Multifamily Valuation
| Property Details | |
|---|---|
| Address | 245 S Lincoln Ave, El Cajon, CA, 92020, US |
| Region / Metro | El Cajon |
| Year of Construction | 1985 |
| Units | 27 |
| Transaction Date | 2020-08-15 |
| Transaction Price | $5,746,000 |
| Buyer | CORNER ERIC D |
| Seller | INTERIM NANCY THORNTON |
245 S Lincoln Ave El Cajon 27-Unit Multifamily
Neighborhood occupancy is around 95% with a high renter concentration, pointing to steady tenant demand, according to WDSuite’s CRE market data. The property’s central El Cajon location supports workforce housing fundamentals relative to the broader San Diego metro.
Located in El Cajon’s Urban Core within the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad metro, the neighborhood rates C- and ranks 570 among 621 metro neighborhoods — below the metro median but still demonstrating stabilized renter fundamentals. Neighborhood occupancy is about 95% (above the national median and competitive for workforce housing), and neighborhood NOI per unit trends rank in the upper tiers locally, indicating resilient revenue performance for comparable assets, based on CRE market data from WDSuite.
Renter-occupied housing accounts for roughly 80% of units in the neighborhood, signaling a deep tenant base and consistent leasing velocity for multifamily product. The median home value sits at an elevated level for the area, a high-cost ownership backdrop that typically reinforces reliance on rental housing and can support pricing power and lease retention for well-managed assets.
Livability signals are mixed. Cafes and childcare options are comparatively dense relative to national peers, while immediate access to grocery stores, parks, and pharmacies within the neighborhood is limited, suggesting residents may rely on nearby districts for some daily needs. Within a 3-mile radius, demographics show stable population with households up in recent years and projected to expand meaningfully by mid-decade, implying a larger tenant pool and support for occupancy stability.
The asset was built in 1985, slightly newer than the neighborhood’s average vintage around 1980. That positioning can be competitively favorable versus older stock, while still leaving room for targeted modernization or system upgrades to enhance rentability and reduce longer-term capital risk.
Safety indicators for the neighborhood track below metro and national averages. The neighborhood’s ranking is 507 among 621 metro neighborhoods, placing it below the metro median, and national percentiles indicate a weaker position relative to safer areas nationwide. One-year data show increases in violent incidents alongside a modest rise in property offenses; investors typically account for this through security posture, lighting, and leasing best practices, and by monitoring submarket trends over time.
Proximity to diversified employers supports renter demand and commute convenience, particularly for workforce tenants tied to defense, food distribution, utilities, semiconductors, and biopharma.
- L-3 Telemetry & RF Products — defense & aerospace offices (10.8 miles)
- Sysco — food distribution (11.5 miles)
- Sempra Energy — utilities (13.3 miles) — HQ
- Qualcomm — semiconductors (15.8 miles) — HQ
- Celgene Corporation — biopharma (16.4 miles)
This 27-unit, 1985-vintage asset sits within an Urban Core pocket where neighborhood occupancy is around 95% and renter concentration is high, supporting a durable tenant base. Elevated ownership costs in the area tend to sustain reliance on rental housing, while the property’s slightly newer-than-average vintage offers competitive positioning versus older stock with potential for targeted value-add. Within a 3-mile radius, households have grown in recent years and are projected to expand further by 2028, reinforcing demand and aiding occupancy stability, according to CRE market data from WDSuite.
Key considerations include affordability pressure at the neighborhood level and mixed livability factors (limited immediate access to some daily-needs retail and parks), as well as safety metrics that trail metro benchmarks. Active asset management, unit modernization, and tenant retention strategies can help capture demand from nearby employment centers and the broader East County renter pool.
- Stabilized renter demand with neighborhood occupancy near 95% and a deep renter-occupied housing base
- 1985 vintage offers competitive positioning versus older stock with scope for focused renovations
- High-cost ownership market supports rental reliance and potential pricing power
- Household growth within 3 miles and proximity to diversified employers underpin leasing
- Risks: neighborhood safety below metro averages and affordability pressure require disciplined operations