Market intelligence · San Diego, CA

San Diego childcare real estate: values, cap rates & market data.

Q: Who buys childcare centers in Southern California?

Buyers include regional and national operators, franchisees, and net-lease real estate investors. Little Scholars maintains a network of 2,800+ childcare and net-lease investors who actively acquire early-education assets — and has brokered California childcare for over 30 years.

Q: Can I sell my center without my staff or competitors finding out?

Yes. Little Scholars runs confidential sale processes — buyers are qualified and sign NDAs before any identifying information about your center is shared.

What childcare centers and daycare properties are worth in the San Diego market — grounded in our own sold-comps database, our 2025 tuition survey, and U.S. Census data.

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187,443

Children under 5 in the San Diego market (2023)

−0.6%

Population change, 2018–2023

$102,285

Median household income — above the U.S. national median

−11.6%

Change in under-5 population, 2018–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2018 & 2023), San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad, CA Metro Area.

What this means for owners

San Diego runs full.

San Diego pairs California's classic supply constraints with a $102,285 median household income. The under-5 population slipped about 12% since 2018 — yet the schools we surveyed run at a 94% median occupancy, the highest of any market we track.

Full centers at premium tuition in a market where it's hard to build: that's the setup investors underwrite for, and it shows up in California's cap rates — the tightest in our dataset.

2025 tuition rates · San Diego market

Real rates from San Diego-market schools.

Actual monthly tuition rates our team received from national-chain schools in the San Diego market during our 2025 survey — not averages. Tuition drives revenue, and revenue drives value.

$2,830

Median infant rate / mo · San Diego market

$1,979

Median preschool rate / mo · San Diego market

94%

Median occupancy (enrollment ÷ licensed capacity), schools reporting

Brand	Location	Infant / mo	Pre-K / mo	Licensed capacity
KinderCare	San Diego (Carmel Valley)	$2,750	$2,208	91
Bright Horizons	Encinitas	—	$2,100	154
La Petite Academy	Vista (Shadowridge)	—	$2,000	128
La Petite Academy	Oceanside	—	$1,559	153
La Petite Academy	San Diego (Carmel Mountain)	$2,819	$1,979	120
La Petite Academy	San Diego (Sabre Springs)	$2,840	$1,862	147
Childtime	San Diego (Mira Mesa)	$3,048	$1,914	—

Disclosure: these rates and enrollment figures were manually received by our team, directly from each school, during our 2025 survey. Only schools that shared rates are shown; figures may have changed since. Medians are computed across the schools shown; median occupancy uses only schools that reported exact enrollment. Licensed capacity per state licensing records. Source: Little Scholars 2025 brand rate survey.

Cap rates & valuation context

What childcare properties trade at in California.

Across our sold-comps database, California childcare properties have typically traded at 5.6–7.0% cap rates, with a median of $538 per square foot — the richest pricing among the states we track. Where your property lands comes down to tenant credit, lease term, and the site itself.

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Source: Little Scholars sold-comps dataset — medians from 23 California childcare sales (17 with reported cap rate), within 592 transactions across 41 states; compiled from public records, updated June 2026.

5.6–7.0%

Typical cap-rate range, CA sales

6.3%

Median sold cap rate, CA

$538

Median price per SF, CA

CA childcare sales in our dataset

Brand (national)	Median sold cap	Median $/SF
KinderCare	6.67%	$381
La Petite Academy	6.89%	$207
Kiddie Academy	6.46%	$378
Tutor Time	8.47%	$372
Childtime	6.20%	$262

Market activity

5 childcare properties currently listed for sale in California.

Source: on-market childcare listings on Crexi as of July 20, 2026, reviewed by our team for childcare relevance. Availability changes daily; contact us for current opportunities.

What's your San Diego center worth?

An instant, confidential valuation of your business and your property — built on the same data behind this page.

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Why Little Scholars

The childcare broker who's run one — with California roots.

30⁺

Years in the industry

70⁺

Centers sold

18⁺

States nationwide

2,800⁺

Investors in our network

Meet Alan Stahl and the team →

FAQ

Questions from San Diego owners.

How much does daycare tuition cost in San Diego?

In our 2025 survey of national-chain schools in the San Diego market, actual rates ran roughly $2,750–$3,048/mo for infants and $1,559–$2,208/mo for Pre-K, with medians of $2,830 and $1,979. Rates were received directly from each school and vary by program and location.

What cap rates do childcare properties sell at in California?

In our sold-comps dataset, California childcare properties have sold at a median cap rate of roughly 6.3%, typically ranging 5.6–7.0% — the tightest pricing among the states we track. Individual deals vary with tenant credit, lease term, and location.

How much is my San Diego daycare business worth?

Childcare businesses are usually valued on a multiple of SDE or EBITDA, and the real estate on its income and comparable sales. Our instant valuation tool estimates both — free and confidential.

Who buys childcare centers in Southern California?

Regional and national operators, franchisees, and net-lease real-estate investors. We maintain a network of 2,800+ childcare and net-lease investors — and we've brokered California childcare for over 30 years.

Can I sell my center without my staff or competitors finding out?

Yes. We run confidential sale processes — buyers are qualified and sign NDAs before any identifying information about your center is shared. Here's how our process works.

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