El Cajon is a diverse business community that includes a downtown which bills itself as “East County’s Cultural Zone,” Parkway Plaza, a leading shopping area with over 200 stores and restaurants; as well as a number of light manufacturing companies. The area is also home to the El Cajon Speedway and two community colleges. The goal of the city is to build a vital economy from this diversity that will offer opportunities to all income and age levels.
Unlike some other areas of the county, El Cajon is built out and does not have large tracts of open land available for development. New construction is either built on vacant lots or involves the rehabilitation of older buildings and sections of the city. For the last seven years the El Cajon Community Development Corporation (ECCDC) has been leading efforts to redevelop and revitalize the downtown historic district centered around Main Street and Magnolia Avenue.
The district is certified for both the California Main Street and the National Main Street programs. The ECCDC follows the Main Street program four-point approach, working simultaneously on promotion, design, economic development and organizational capacity. Anchored by the busy East County Performing Arts Center, the downtown district now boasts 13 restaurants and hosts the highly successful El Cajon Classic Cruise—the largest weekly car show in Southern California. Currently the ECCDC is working to attract speciality retailers to open shops among its restaurants. The weekly Concerts on the Green also brings diners and shoppers to the district.
In 2000, Main Street was reconfigured from a four-lane highway into a two-lane street with diagonal parking, adding about 100 parking spaces and improving the flow of traffic. Rea Avenue is the area’s designated art district and offers a concentration of galleries, museums and art attractions, including the Olaf Wieghorst Museum and Art Center. Westfield Shoppingtown Parkway is a large regional mall, located near downtown, containing 193 shops and is anchored by Robinsons-May, Mervyns and a Regal Cinemas 18.
El Cajon’s manufacturing base includes companies such as American Metal Processing, Taylor Guitars, Certified Metal Craft Inc.,WindowMaster Products, Toro AG and many more. Because of its strong manufacturing base, El Cajon struggles with the issues that affect these businesses, including high energy costs and regulations controlling storm water runoff. The recent announcement that Buck Knives is leaving the area is disappointing, and the city is working to prevent other defections.
Gillespie Field, located in El Cajon, is the oldest and largest of San Diego County’s eight airports. Two business parks adjoin the airport and provide over 2,000 jobs to the area. The airport is close to hotels and is home to flight schools, repair and maintenance shops, rental cars and aircraft sales facilities.
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Top Home Sales in El Cajon
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Dwelling
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Street Address
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Zip
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Record Date
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Tax Value
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condo
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12190 Cuyamaca College Dr, Unit #1412
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92019
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08/01/07
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$2,900,000
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house
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3450 Par Four Dr
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92019
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02/22/08
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$2,300,000
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house
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15222 Creek Hills Rd
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92021
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01/11/07
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$1,867,500
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house
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780 Crows Nest Ln
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92021
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01/28/08
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$1,565,500
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house
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715 Toulon Ct
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92019
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05/11/07
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$1,500,000
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house
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719 Crows Nest Ln
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92019
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05/29/07
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$1,500,000
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house
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781 Springtime Way
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92019
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09/03/08
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$1,450,000
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house
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1129 Avenida Del Oceano
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92019
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07/23/07
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$1,400,000
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house
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673 Calle de la Sierra
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92019
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07/23/08
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$1,355,000
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house
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15460 Creek Hills Rd
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92021
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03/02/07
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$1,350,000
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house
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1170 Avenida Del Oceano
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92019
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08/31/07
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$1,350,000
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house
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15145 Tombstone Creek Rd
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92021
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05/16/07
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$1,300,000
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house
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5366 Grandridge Rd
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92020
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08/30/07
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$1,293,000
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house
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5182 Espinoza Rd
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92021
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04/24/07
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$1,255,000
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house
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840 Van Horn Way
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92019
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09/07/07
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$1,250,000
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house
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11178 Quail Canyon Rd
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92021
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09/18/08
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$1,250,000
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house
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1809 Hidden Oaks Ct
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92019
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10/23/07
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$1,212,500
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house
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1555 Vista De Montemar
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92021
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02/21/07
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$1,200,000
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house
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10928 Quail Canyon Rd
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92021
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04/12/07
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$1,200,000
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house
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1375 Vista Sierra Dr
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92019
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03/20/08
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$1,200,000
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house
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2179 Valley View Blvd
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92019
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06/27/08
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$1,185,000
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house
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1495 Montana Serena Ct
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92021
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05/12/08
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$1,150,000
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house
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1336 Hidden Hollow Ct
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92019
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01/30/08
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$1,125,000
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house
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14544 Ranch Trail Dr
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92021
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03/18/08
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$1,100,500
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house
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2936 La Cresta Rd
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92021
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02/16/07
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$1,075,000
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house
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15676 Creek Hills Rd
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92021
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01/30/07
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$1,060,000
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house
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925 E. Chase Ave
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92020
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02/21/07
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$1,060,000
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house
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1515 E. Chase Ave
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92020
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10/23/07
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$1,060,000
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house
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15504 Hawley Pl
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92021
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02/07/07
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$1,055,000
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house
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2560 Brust Ct
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92019
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04/13/07
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$1,050,000
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Top 30 Employers in El Cajon
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| Ranked by number of employees |
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Company
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Industry
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Employees
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Grossmont Union High School District
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N/A
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4,490
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Sycuan Resort & Casino
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N/A
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2,500
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Grossmont Community College
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N/A
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2,271
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University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors Inc.
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N/A
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350
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Buck Knives Inc.
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N/A
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272
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Cuyamaca College
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N/A
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200
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Community First National Bank, merged with Bank of the West
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N/A
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104
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Advanced Protection Systems Inc.
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N/A
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78
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Safway Services Inc.
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N/A
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60
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American Technologies Inc.
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N/A
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50
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Halbert Construction Co.
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N/A
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35
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D3 Equipment
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N/A
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24
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CSS Insurance Agency
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N/A
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14
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LiveScan San Diego, Inc.
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N/A
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12
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Clary Business Machines Co. Inc.
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N/A
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11
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Sunbelt Publications Inc.
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N/A
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10
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Jasmine Creek Florist
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N/A
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9
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XL Staffing Inc.
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N/A
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9
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Aspen Insurance Brokers
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N/A
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8
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Encircle Insurance Services
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N/A
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6
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The Daniels Companies
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N/A
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6
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Delta Consultants Inc.
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N/A
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5
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The East County Business Center
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N/A
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5
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L.L. Brown Engineering, Inc.
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N/A
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4
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Realty Resources, Ltd.
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N/A
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4
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CourtHouse Square
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N/A
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1
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Terminator Flooring Removal Service
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N/A
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1
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A-1 Internet Service Providers
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N/A
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0
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A1 Demolition & Salvage
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N/A
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0
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Allenson General Contracting
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N/A
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0
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EAST COUNTY
SPOTLIGHTS
El Cajon - More Info
Neighboring Locales
- La Mesa
- Lakeside
- Santee
La Mesa
Santee
BUSINESS LISTINGS
CITIES
TROLLEY STOPS
ECONOMIC STATISTICS
ARTICLES
The Promise of Economic Growth for 2004
Expected population growth in El Cajon
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El Cajon
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2000:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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94,869
21,313
73,556
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2010:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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98,670
26,427
72,243
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2020:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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107,219
34,281
72,938
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2030:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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109,044
39,345
69,699
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Source
Sandag
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