Santee, CA vs La Mesa, CA

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

MetricSantee, CALa Mesa, CA
Population59,33260,797
Median Household Income$113,394$95,028
Median Rent$2,250/mo$2,049/mo
Median Home Value$727,200$812,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income61.5%58.4%
Poverty Rate7.9%11.5%
Unemployment Rate4.5%4.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k161397
Property Crime Rate /100k4751,358
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs85°F85°F
Winter Lows43°F43°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute26.7 min23.8 min
Hospitals—2
Avg Hospital Rating—4.0 / 5
Students per Teacher—23.5
College Degree Rate35%40.6%
Foreign-Born %13.7%13.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-3.1%-2.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.