Wedged between San Diego and Chula Vista on the bay, National City grew from the Kimball brothers' 1868 purchase of Rancho de la Nación into an early railroad town. Its compact grid of Victorian-era houses, bungalows and postwar homes sits close to the working waterfront, Naval Base San Diego and Interstates 5 and 805.

County: San Diego County · South Bay
Type: City
ZIP codes: 91950
Report options: Desktop from $299 · Standard from $699

The National City housing market

Housing ranges from 19th-century homes in Old Town and the row houses of Heritage Square to 1920s bungalows, postwar cottages and ranch homes in the eastern hills, with many duplexes, small apartment buildings and lots holding more than one dwelling. Older residential blocks on the west side sit beside industrial, port and freeway uses, while neighborhoods such as El Toyon and Las Palmas are more uniformly residential. Newer transit-oriented apartments and townhomes have been added near downtown and the trolley stations. Renter households are common, and investors and first-time buyers often pursue the same small houses.

Neighborhoods and communities

Old Town
Downtown National City
Heritage Square
El Toyon
Las Palmas
Lincoln Acres

Property types we commonly appraise here

Victorian and early 20th-century homes
1920s bungalows and postwar cottages
duplexes and small apartment buildings
lots with multiple dwellings
transit-oriented townhomes
mobile homes in parks

What shapes value in National City

Zoning and land use change block by block, so appraisals here often address legal nonconforming units, additional dwellings of uncertain permit status and adjacency to industrial or freeway uses. Heavy storms have caused local flooding, including in January 2024 when a National City mobile home park was badly damaged, so flood exposure deserves a check. Lincoln Acres is unincorporated county land surrounded by the city, so its zoning and permits fall under county rules even though it shares the 91950 ZIP code.

Around National City

Brick Row in Heritage Square, the 1882 National City Depot, Kimball Park, Paradise Valley Hospital and the Plaza Bonita shopping center are local landmarks, and the Mile of Cars auto district remains a long-standing commercial anchor.

Appraisals we prepare for National City properties

Desktop appraisals start at $299; Drive-By and Standard appraisals with a visit to the property start at $649 and $699. See pricing for every report type.

National City Home Appraisals