La Mesa, CA vs Rancho San Diego, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricLa Mesa, CARancho San Diego, CA
Population60,79721,272
Median Household Income$95,028$118,682
Median Rent$2,049/mo$2,618/mo
Median Home Value$812,000$905,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income58.4%56.1%
Poverty Rate11.5%10.1%
Unemployment Rate4.4%4.6% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k397167*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,358315*
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs85°F85°F
Winter Lows43°F43°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute23.8 min28.2 min
Hospitals2—
Avg Hospital Rating4.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher23.5—
College Degree Rate40.6%45.7%
Foreign-Born %13.1%20.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.0%+2.1%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Rancho San Diego (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.