La Mesa, CA
Census place 0640004 · pop 60,797
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
71 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
52 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$812,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
47.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,616/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
421 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1390 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
11.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
40.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$95,028 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
10.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.66% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
19.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
26.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is La Mesa, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, La Mesa scores 40/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is air quality (aqi). California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is La Mesa, CA?
- La Mesa reports 421 violent crimes per 100k and 1390 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is La Mesa, CA expensive to live in?
- La Mesa has a median home value of $812,000 and typical rent around $2,616/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in La Mesa, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is air quality (aqi) (71 AQI) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is La Mesa, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (26.3%) — 89/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.