| Summary | National Percentile | Rank vs Metro |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | 82nd | Good |
| Demographics | 88th | Best |
| Amenities | 63rd | Best |
Multifamily Valuation
| Property Details | |
|---|---|
| Address | 1220 Robinson Ave, San Diego, CA, 92103, US |
| Region / Metro | San Diego |
| Year of Construction | 1984 |
| Units | 35 |
| Transaction Date | 2017-09-20 |
| Transaction Price | $7,725,000 |
| Buyer | ABN PROPERTY HOLDING LP |
| Seller | CARV PROPERTIES LLC |
1220 Robinson Ave San Diego Multifamily Investment
Neighborhood-level occupancy has been resilient and renter demand is supported by an Urban Core location, according to WDSuite’s CRE market data, offering investors a steady backdrop for income-focused hold periods.
Situated in San Diego’s Urban Core, the property benefits from a neighborhood rated A and ranked 50 out of 621 metro neighborhoods, signaling a competitive position within the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad market. Neighborhood occupancy is strong and competitive among San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA neighborhoods, which supports income durability at professionally managed multifamily assets.
Amenity access is a differentiator: food, grocery, and coffee availability rank competitively in the metro, and these categories sit in the top national quartile for density. Average school ratings are also competitive among metro peers (rank 72 of 621; nationally above the 80th percentile), adding to the area’s livability profile for a wide renter base.
Within a 3-mile radius, demographics point to a larger tenant base over time: recent population growth and an 11%+ rise in households have coincided with shrinking household sizes, which typically increases demand for smaller rental units and supports occupancy stability. Forward-looking projections call for continued population and household gains, indicating an expanding renter pool that can aid leasing velocity and retention.
The neighborhood shows a high renter-occupied share of housing units (about seven in ten), implying meaningful depth in multifamily demand. Elevated home values relative to income at the neighborhood level indicate a high-cost ownership market, which tends to reinforce reliance on rental housing and can support pricing power, while the neighborhood’s rent-to-income ratio suggests relatively manageable affordability pressure that can help lease retention.
Vintage considerations: the property’s 1975 construction is slightly older than the neighborhood’s average vintage (1980). Investors should plan for ongoing capital expenditures and may find value-add upside through unit modernization and building systems upgrades to remain competitive against newer stock.
Safety indicators for the neighborhood trend below national benchmarks, with crime metrics placing the area toward the lower national percentiles and below the metro average among 621 San Diego-area neighborhoods. Year-over-year, estimated property offenses have edged down modestly, while violent offense estimates have increased, underscoring the need for prudent risk management.
Investors often address these conditions through measures such as lighting, access control, and coordination with local resources. Monitoring trends over time and aligning operating practices accordingly can help support resident retention and asset performance.
Proximity to a diverse employment base — including utilities headquarters, defense and aerospace, life sciences, semiconductors, and food distribution — supports renter demand through commute convenience and diversified job anchors.
- Sempra Energy — utilities (1.98 miles) — HQ
- L-3 Telemetry & RF Products — defense & aerospace (5.35 miles)
- Celgene Corporation — life sciences (10.14 miles)
- Qualcomm — semiconductors (10.67 miles) — HQ
- Sysco — food distribution (14.36 miles)
1220 Robinson Ave offers investors exposure to an Urban Core submarket with competitive neighborhood fundamentals, strong amenity access, and a deep renter base. Based on CRE market data from WDSuite, neighborhood occupancy is competitive among metro peers, and elevated ownership costs at the neighborhood level reinforce reliance on rental housing — supportive of rent stability and retention. Within a 3-mile radius, recent and projected gains in households point to a larger tenant base and support for ongoing renter demand.
The 1975 vintage implies targeted capital planning and presents value-add potential via interior renovations and systems improvements to maintain competitiveness against newer product. Affordability appears comparatively manageable at the neighborhood level, which can aid lease management while the area’s job anchors provide diversified demand catalysts.
- Competitive neighborhood occupancy supports income stability
- High renter-occupied share and strong amenities underpin demand depth
- Household growth within 3 miles expands the tenant base and aids leasing
- 1975 vintage offers value-add and renovation upside with prudent capex planning
- Risks: safety metrics below national averages and ongoing capex needs