San Diego has a mix that’s different from LA or SF. Military. Biotech. Tourism. Tech that’s grown steadily without the hype of Silicon Valley.
The metro has 1.2 million households with a median income of $108,000. About 21% earn over $200k, which means roughly 252,000 households at that level.
Around 116,000 of those high-earning households don’t work with a financial advisor.
San Diego’s Crypto Ownership Profile #
Crypto ownership here runs above the national average. California broadly has higher adoption. San Diego specifically has a tech-adjacent population that pays attention to emerging assets.
The biotech crowd has venture-style thinking about investments. The military community includes people who’ve deployed globally and seen how different financial systems work. The tech workers came from companies where crypto exposure was common.
Add in the general California tendency toward Alternative Investments, and you get a population that’s probably holding at rates well above 30% among high earners.
The 116,000 unadvised households with over $200k income include plenty of people managing digital assets without professional help.
The California Tax Problem for Crypto Holders #
California taxes crypto gains as ordinary income. If you’re in a high bracket, you could pay 13%+ to the state on top of federal Capital Gains taxes.
That’s not a small number. On significant crypto appreciation, the combined tax hit can approach 40%.
People who move to San Diego from out of state sometimes don’t realize how different California taxes are until they crystallize gains. People who’ve lived here and accumulated crypto have a growing tax liability they’ll eventually need to deal with.
The question isn’t whether you’ll pay taxes. It’s how to minimize them legally:
- Tracking cost basis precisely so you can select the right lots to sell
- Planning around income years to manage bracket exposure
- Considering timing of sales relative to other income
- Understanding how different types of crypto transactions get treated
This is financial planning work. Most people aren’t doing it properly.
Finding a Digital Asset Wealth Advisor #
San Diego has financial advisors. Finding one who understands crypto at a technical level is harder.
The advisors who’ve gone deep on digital assets typically work remotely. They serve clients nationally because crypto holders exist everywhere and because specialized expertise matters more than physical presence.
For San Diego residents, remote advisory makes sense:
- Access to specialists who’ve focused on crypto for years
- Secure communication through encrypted channels
- Flexibility that doesn’t require commuting
- Expertise that isn’t limited to whoever happens to be local
California crypto holders specifically need advisors who understand the state tax implications. Who can help structure sales and exchanges to minimize the combined federal and state burden. Who know the rules and can apply them to your specific situation.
Key questions for any advisor:
- How do you approach cost basis tracking?
- What’s your experience with California crypto taxation?
- Can you coordinate digital assets with my other investments?
- What’s your process for Custody and Estate Planning?
Getting Started with Crypto Wealth Management #
Digital Wealth Partners focuses on crypto holders and works entirely remotely. If you’re in San Diego with meaningful Digital Asset holdings, they’re built for exactly this kind of situation. Check them out at digitalwealthpartners.net.
The 116,000 high-income households here without advisors include a lot of people with crypto exposure and tax consequences they haven’t fully thought through. California doesn’t give breaks on this stuff. Neither does the IRS.
