Rancho San Diego, CA vs La Mesa, CA

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

MetricRancho San Diego, CALa Mesa, CA
Population21,27260,797
Median Household Income$118,682$95,028
Median Rent$2,618/mo$2,049/mo
Median Home Value$905,300$812,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income56.1%58.4%
Poverty Rate10.1%11.5%
Unemployment Rate4.6% (county)4.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k167*397
Property Crime Rate /100k315*1,358
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs85°F85°F
Winter Lows43°F43°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute28.2 min23.8 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—4.0 / 5
Students per Teacher—23.5
College Degree Rate45.7%40.6%
Foreign-Born %20.4%13.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+2.1%-2.0%

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.