City facts, housing, address checks, schools by address and local rules, each with its source.
North Park is a community inside the City of San Diego, not a separate city. It covers about 2,258 acres in the central part of the city, next to Balboa Park, Mission Valley and Golden Hill. You'll find both multi-family and single-family housing, and the original subdivisions date to just after 1900. Before you make an offer, check the exact address for the build year, HOA documents, fire and flood zones, and the assigned school. If you plan a rental or an ADU, read the City's short-term rental, tenant and ADU rules first.
General information only, not legal advice. See the note near the end of this page.
Want a North Park real estate agent to look at a specific home with you? Karina Somenzari, REALTOR®, works with buyers and sellers in North Park and across San Diego County's cities and communities, in English or Portuguese; contracts and escrow documents are in English.
| Topic | What the official record shows |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | A community planning area of the City of San Diego, in Council District 3. The City's District 3 page shows the current councilmember. |
| Plan | The North Park Community Plan, adopted October 25, 2016. The community planning group posts agendas and minutes on the City's planning group page. |
| Size and edges | About 2,258 acres. Mission Valley is along the northern boundary, Golden Hill along the southeastern boundary, and Balboa Park abuts the community on the southwest. |
| Housing | Multi-family and single-family neighborhoods. The City describes "a diversity of housing" in an older urbanized community whose original subdivisions were recorded just after 1900. |
| ZIP codes | Addresses in North Park use ZIP codes such as 92104 and 92116. ZIP and community lines do not match exactly, so confirm an address with the USPS ZIP lookup. |
The City describes North Park as having both multi-family and single-family neighborhoods. Because the community is old, the build year of a specific home matters. This page doesn't give prices or market statistics.
Each check below depends on the exact address. Most arrive with the seller's disclosures, but you can look many of them up before you write an offer. A free property report pre-checks fire, flood and fault zones for any San Diego County address.
Federal lead-paint rules apply to most housing built before 1978, and the seller must disclose what they know about lead-based paint. North Park's original subdivisions date to just after 1900, so some homes here may be old enough for the rule to apply. Ask for the build year before you tour, and read the EPA disclosure rule summary.
Some condo and townhome buildings in North Park have a homeowners association (HOA). Civil Code 4525 sets out the papers a resale seller owes the buyer, and the governing documents and any rental limits are the ones to read first if you plan to rent the unit out. Request them early.
The City of San Diego publishes a list of the Community Facilities Districts (Mello-Roos) it administers, and North Park is not among the areas on it. That list isn't a parcel search, and other assessments can still appear on a tax bill. Check the home's current bill and any notice the seller gives under Civil Code 1102.6b.
The City adopted the 2025 CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone map by ordinance O-21992, effective August 30, 2025. Whether a North Park parcel is in a zone depends on the address, so use the City's fire zone map viewer and read the seller's Natural Hazard Disclosure report.
FEMA's updated flood maps for the City of San Diego took effect March 3, 2026. Whether a North Park address is in a mapped zone depends on the address, so look it up at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Your lender will say whether flood insurance is required.
San Diego Unified School District serves ZIP codes 92104 and 92116 in their entirety. The district also says it does not cover all of the City of San Diego, and ZIP codes don't follow community lines exactly. Assignment depends on the exact address, so look it up rather than guess.
| District | Address lookup | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Unified School District | School Finder (address tool) | Boundaries Office: 619-725-5668 |
For boundary questions, the district also lists Instructional Facilities Planning at 619-725-7372. This page doesn't rate or rank schools.
The City's Short Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) ordinance requires a license for stays of less than one month. Operating without one has been unlawful since May 1, 2023. There are four tiers:
A host may hold only one license. Whole-home license availability changes, so ask the City Treasurer's STRO page before you count on short-term rental income.
The City of San Diego Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance took effect June 24, 2023. The San Diego Housing Commission describes relocation help if a tenant is evicted in certain circumstances. Which units are covered and what is owed depend on the ordinance text and the unit, so read the SDHC tenant protections page and ask a real estate attorney if you're buying a rental.
The City's Information Bulletin 400, dated January 2026, explains the building permit process for ADUs and junior ADUs. The City also runs a bonus ADU program with its own limits in some zones, and some of the bulletin's rules don't apply inside the Coastal Overlay Zone. Read the current Bulletin 400 before you buy a lot for the ADU potential.
MTS lists bus Route 2 (Downtown - North Park) and Route 6 (Fashion Valley - North Park). See the Route 2 and Route 6 schedules for stops and times. Other routes may also serve the area; the MTS route list is the place to check an address.
Balboa Park abuts North Park on the southwest. Morley Field sits in the northeast section of Balboa Park, at Texas and Upas streets, so it is next to North Park rather than in it. The City's page lists 25 tennis courts, a multi-purpose ball field, a velodrome (bicycle track), a disc golf course and the Bud Kearns swimming pool.
If you own in North Park, a buyer can look up the same fire, flood, school and rental-rule items on this page, so expect questions about them. Your disclosure package also covers the build year, any HOA documents and, for older homes, lead paint. See selling a house in San Diego for the full list, costs and timing, or request a free home value estimate.
Karina Somenzari, REALTOR®, is a real estate agent licensed in California (DRE# 02248263) with eXp Realty of California, Inc. She represents buyers and sellers in North Park and across San Diego County. You can work with her in English or Portuguese; contracts and escrow documents are in English.
To start, tell her about your plans or call 619-369-4598. If you'd rather talk in Portuguese, read about working with a Portuguese-speaking real estate agent.
No. North Park is a community of the City of San Diego, not a separate city. The City's North Park Community Plan, adopted October 25, 2016, guides land use there. The community covers about 2,258 acres, with Mission Valley along its northern boundary and Golden Hill along its southeastern boundary. Balboa Park abuts it on the southwest.
San Diego Unified School District serves ZIP codes 92104 and 92116 in their entirety, and those ZIP codes are commonly used for North Park addresses. The district says it does not cover all of the City of San Diego, and ZIP codes do not match community lines exactly. Enter the exact address in the district's school locator, then confirm with the district. Charter and magnet schools have their own enrollment steps.
Only with a City license. San Diego's Short Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) ordinance requires a license for stays of less than one month, and operating without one has been unlawful since May 1, 2023. The City has four license tiers, and a host may hold only one license. Whole-home licenses are limited and availability changes, so check with the City Treasurer before you count on short-term rental income.
The City's list of Community Facilities Districts it administers does not include a district in North Park. That is a list, not a parcel search, and other assessments can still appear on a property tax bill. Check the home's current tax bill and the seller's disclosures for any special tax or assessment.
The City of San Diego Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance took effect June 24, 2023. According to the San Diego Housing Commission, it provides relocation help if a tenant is evicted in certain circumstances. The details depend on the ordinance text and the specific unit, so ask a real estate attorney before you buy a rental or serve a notice.
Use the City's fire hazard severity zone map viewer and the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. The City adopted the 2025 CAL FIRE map effective August 30, 2025, and FEMA's updated City of San Diego flood maps took effect March 3, 2026. Whether a given North Park address falls in either zone depends on the address. The seller's Natural Hazard Disclosure report states the zones, and the free property report on this site pre-checks fire, flood and fault zones.
Karina offers a free, no-pressure conversation in English or Portuguese, whether you're buying or selling in North Park (contracts and escrow documents are in English). Bring an address, and she'll go over these checks with you.