La Mesa vs San Diego
La Mesa, California versus San Diego, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
La Mesa and San Diego score about the same overall (47 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | La Mesa | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $84k | $99k |
| Cost of Living | $78k | $78k |
| Home Value | $684k | $783k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.68% | 0.68% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.78% | 21.64% |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.0 in | 11.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 228 days | 228 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 315 days | 312 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 39.4 | 23.5 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 87.4 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1114/100k | 986/100k |
| Property Crime | 2090/100k | 1827/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 60,888 | 1,383,987 |
| Median Age | 36.3 | 35.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.65 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 1.04 |
| Political Leaning | D+23 | D+23 |
| White (%) | 52.2% | 41.5% |
| Black (%) | 7.3% | 5.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 28.0% | 30.1% |
| Asian (%) | 6.7% | 17.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.7% | 5.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 15.6/20 | 10.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 11 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.9% | 94.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 85.07 | 4.02 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is La Mesa or San Diego more affordable?
- San Diego has the lower cost of living: its index is $78k, compared with La Mesa's $78k and San Diego's $78k. Median rent is $2k in La Mesa versus $2k in San Diego.
- Is La Mesa or San Diego safer?
- San Diego has the lower violent crime rate. La Mesa reports 1114/100k and San Diego reports 986/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in La Mesa or San Diego?
- The median home value is $684k in La Mesa and $783k in San Diego, so homes are more affordable in La Mesa.