El Cajon, CA
Commercial Real Estate Market Trends & Data

$589 Avg asking sale price
$261 Avg asking lease rate
8,904 SF Avg unit lease size
12,569 SF Avg building size for sale
5.31% Average cap rate

El Cajon's Demographic Profile

El Cajon has 33,974 households and a median income of $62,412, providing context for rent absorption and tenant demand across retail and multifamily assets. A -1% five-year population trend is a key signal for evaluating long-term demand in this market.

Key Demographic Metric Value
Population 102,392
# Households 33,974
Median age 37
Median household income $62,412
Avg household size 3.0
Renter-occupied housing units 20,698
5-year population change -1%

{{marketTabHeadings[activeMarketTab]}} Market Metrics Near El Cajon, CA

↻ Updated Monthly

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Nearby Office Markets Avg Cost/SF Typical Size Cap Max
La Mesa $403 10,718 SF 6.81%
Lemon Grove $183 16,378 SF 6.81%
Nearby Industrial Markets Avg Cost/SF Typical Size Cap Max
El Cajon $507 5,526 SF 5.07%
La Mesa $353 8,525 SF 7.25%
Spring Valley $452 2,210 SF 2.69%
Nearby Retail Markets Avg Cost/SF Typical Size
El Cajon $768 13,061 SF
Lakeside $489 5,432 SF
La Mesa $851 8,522 SF
Spring Valley $592 10,114 SF
Santee $790 13,521 SF
Nearby Multifamily Markets Avg Cost/SF Typical Size Cap Max
El Cajon $367 21,293 SF 5.53%
Lakeside $314 16,206 SF 4.87%
La Mesa $470 16,867 SF 5.75%
Spring Valley $410 14,910 SF 6.45%
Santee $319 20,668 SF 4.87%

Commercial Properties For Sale in El Cajon

The listings below reflect how current market pricing and building scale translate into active opportunities available today.
For Sale

312 Highland Ave

El Cajon, CA 92020

  • 4,761 SF Office Building
  • $2,100,000
For Sale

269-291 E Lexington Ave

El Cajon, CA 92020

  • 9,471 SF Office Building
  • $3,950,000
For Sale

Well-Maintained Shopping Center El Cajon CA

El Cajon, CA 92021

  • 25,460 SF Retail Building
  • 6.08% Cap Rate
  • $9,100,000
For Sale

Foothill Manor

La Mesa, CA 91941

  • 19,398 SF Multifamily
  • 4.95% Cap Rate
  • $7,500,000
For Sale

944 Broadway

El Cajon, CA 92021

  • 3,021 SF Retail Building
  • 5.11% Cap Rate
  • $1,200,000
For Sale

120 Ballantyne St

El Cajon, CA 92020

  • 15,561 SF Multifamily
  • 4.27% Cap Rate
  • $3,958,173

Average Price For Sale

↻ Updated Monthly

Average Price For Lease

↻ Updated Monthly

Number of Listings

↻ Updated Monthly

Cap Rate

↻ Updated Monthly

How Investors Evaluate Commercial Real Estate Markets

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Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Calculator
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Calculator
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What is a Ground Lease?
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Understanding the Nuances of Ground and Land Leases
Master Lease Strategies
Master Lease Strategies
Maximizing Control and Income with Flexible Leasing Solutions
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How to Find Industrial Tenants for Your Property
A practical guide to finding qualified industrial tenants, from building your tenant profile to tenant screening and closing the lease.
Bonus Depreciation
Bonus Depreciation
A practical guide to using bonus depreciation to reduce tax liability, improve cash flow, and plan property improvements with timing strategies in mind.
Accelerated Depreciation in Commercial Real Estate
Accelerated Depreciation in Commercial Real Estate
Understand how accelerated depreciation works, which method fits your deal, and how to avoid the tax pitfalls that catch most investors off guard.

Nearby Commercial Markets

Comparing nearby markets helps investors see whether El Cajon pricing and building scale sit above, below, or in line with surrounding areas.

Commercial Markets Avg Cost/SF Average Size
El Cajon $589 12,569 SF
Crest $211 4,500 SF
Lakeside $321 26,170 SF
La Mesa $733 11,641 SF
Spring Valley $700 9,190 SF

Regional Demographic Comparison

This comparison places El Cajon alongside nearby cities to show how population size, household counts, and income levels differ across the region. Viewing these markets side by side helps investors understand whether local demand and income characteristics are concentrated in El Cajon or distributed across surrounding areas.

City Population # Households Age Median Household Income Avg Household Size Renter Occupied Housing Units Five Yr Pop Growth %
El Cajon 102,392 33,974 37 $62,412 3 20,698 -1%
Lakeside 20,743 7,292 41 $88,935 3 2,283 -1%
La Mesa 60,318 24,551 40 $80,362 2 13,672 -1%
Spring Valley 30,010 9,667 38 $91,153 3 3,810 -1%

Disclaimer: The figures on this page reflect LoopNet's active commercial listings in El Cajon, CA and update as inventory changes. Averages can shift between periods or vary across property types depending on the mix of listings available at a given time, so individual metrics may not reflect broader market trends. These figures are best used as directional benchmarks for early market evaluation. For comprehensive commercial real estate data and analytics, subscribe to CoStar.

FAQs About Commercial Investing in El Cajon

View All Commercial Real Estate For Sale in El Cajon
Is El Cajon a good market for a first-time commercial real estate investor?

El Cajon offers commercial properties across a wide range of sizes and price points. By reviewing the market data and benchmarks on this page, first-time investors can better understand what a typical commercial property looks like before committing capital and narrowing in on specific listings.

How can this market data help me decide whether to buy commercial property for my business in El Cajon?

The pricing and size metrics on this page help business owners compare the cost of ownership against leasing in El Cajon. Typical building sizes and asking prices provide a starting point for evaluating space needs, budget fit, and long term occupancy costs before engaging lenders or brokers.

What should conservative investors focus on when evaluating commercial properties in El Cajon?

Conservative investors often prioritize manageable deal sizes, stable pricing ranges, and cap rate benchmarks shown for El Cajon. These metrics help assess whether current market conditions support steady income potential without relying on aggressive assumptions.

How does El Cajon compare to nearby commercial real estate markets?

Nearby market comparisons highlight differences in pricing, building scale, and cap rate ranges relative to El Cajon. Reviewing these side by side helps experienced investors identify relative value, pricing premiums, or alternative markets that may better align with return targets.

How can this page support early-stage deal screening for El Cajon acquisitions?

This page provides high-level benchmarks for pricing, deal size, and observed cap rates in El Cajon, which are useful for initial market filtering. Institutional and data-driven investors often use these signals to prioritize listings that meet size, pricing, and return thresholds before deeper underwriting.

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