Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 35/100
F
Median home value$812,000
San Diego $854,700
Median rent$2,049/mo
San Diego $2,246/mo
Cost-burdened households45%
San Diego 44%
La Mesa
San Diego County60,797 residents3 school districts
58
C
Suburbgrade score
9th of 30 San Diego suburbs. Strong on amenities and cost of living, held back by housing & affordability.
58
San Diego median 52
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for La Mesa yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 58 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What La Mesa is like to live in, by category
Bars show La Mesa against San Diego. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 50/100
D+
Within-state proficiency62nd pct
San Diego median 60th pct
Student–teacher ratio22.8
San Diego median 22.6
Graduation rate83%
San Diego median 86%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 74/100
B
Housing cost index92
San Diego 100
Eff. tax rate0.67%
San Diego 0.67%
Local sales tax8.50%
San Diego median 7.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 71/100
B−
Mean commute23.8 min
San Diego 25.5 min
Under 30 minutes69%
San Diego 64%
Transit stops / sq mi9.1
San Diego median 4.2 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 81/100
B+
Restaurants & cafés138
San Diego median 50 · within 2 miles
Groceries12
San Diego median 6 · within 2 miles
Parks34
San Diego median 23 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 49/100
D+
Median household income$95,028
San Diego $106,268
Unemployment6.2%
San Diego 6.1%
Professional occupations48%
San Diego 48%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for La Mesa yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than La Mesa on housing & affordability
La Mesa's weakest grade is F. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Solana Beach21 mi from La MesaB− 70 B− Encinitas24 mi from La MesaB− 72 B− Coronado11 mi from La MesaC+ 63 C+ San Diego Country Estates21 mi from La MesaC− 45 D Poway15 mi from La MesaC− 59 C Bonita7 mi from La MesaC− 59 C Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in La Mesa
Is La Mesa, CA a good place to live?
La Mesa scores 58 out of 100, 9th of 30 San Diego suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is La Mesa expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B. The median home is $812,000, 5% below the San Diego median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.67%. $2,049/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in La Mesa?
Schools grade D+. The districts serving La Mesa sit at the 62nd pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 83% graduation rate and a 22.8 student–teacher ratio. La Mesa is served by Grossmont Union High, La Mesa-Spring Valley and Lemon Grove. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from La Mesa?
The mean commute is 23.8 min, with 69% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 18% working from home. Transit density is 9.1 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in La Mesa?
Within two miles there are 12 groceries, 138 restaurants and cafés and 34 parks, which grades B+ on amenities.
Are the homes in La Mesa old or new?
The median home in La Mesa was built in 1971 — older than the San Diego median of 1980. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 53% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.