Is La Mesa, CA a Good Place to Live?
La Mesa is a mid-sized city of 60,888 in California, with a median household income of $83,649 and a 6.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: La Mesa stands out for lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether La Mesa is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All La Mesa city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 111.5La Mesa's overall cost of living index is 111.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in La Mesa costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | La Mesa, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $684,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,819 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 44.8% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $83,649 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageLa Mesa's violent crime rate is 415.9 per 100,000 residents — 9% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
La Mesa is served primarily by La Mesa-Spring Valley. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.6:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | La Mesa, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | La Mesa-Spring Valley | — |
| Elementary Schools | 17 | — |
| Middle Schools | 4 | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 22.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 37.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 93.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
La Mesa sees average highs of 69.3°F in January and 86.1°F in July, with 12.0 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | La Mesa, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 69.3°F |
| Average High — July | 86.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | La Mesa, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,888 | — |
| Median Age | 36.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 62.9% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 7.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 7.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in La Mesa
La Mesa, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: