What it's like to live in La Mesa
La Mesa is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. La Mesa deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How La Mesa compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to La Mesa
Based on La Mesa's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,098
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $81,960 a year
- 58% of La Mesa renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$162,400
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $81,200
- Homes cost 8.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 45% above US
$2,049/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,049 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $812,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $812,000 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 21% above US
397 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1358/100k · La Mesa Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 13% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Cabrillo National Monument (15 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
La Mesa's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,049/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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