San Diego childcare real estate: values, cap rates & market data.
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.
San Diego, CA childcare market — key figures
The median childcare real estate cap rate in California is 6.3%, based on 17 of 23 sold childcare transactions compiled by Little Scholars Real Estate, at a median sold price of $538 per square foot.
In the San Diego, CA metro, 7 national-chain childcare centers surveyed in 2025 reported median monthly tuition of $2,830 for infants and $1,979 for preschool.
The San Diego, CA metro has 187,443 children under age five and a median household income of $102,285; its population declined 0.6% and its under-five population declined 11.6% between 2018 and 2023.
Little Scholars Real Estate is a childcare-only business and real estate brokerage led by Alan Stahl, with 80 transactions closed across 18+ states.
Sources: Little Scholars Real Estate sold-comps database (592 childcare transactions across 41 states, updated June 2026); Little Scholars 2025 tuition survey, rates received directly from individual schools; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2018 and 2023). Figures may be cited or republished with attribution to Little Scholars Real Estate (CC BY 4.0).
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.
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.
| 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 | — |
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.
| 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 |
5 childcare properties currently listed for sale in California.
What's your San Diego center worth?
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