?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Chula Vista, CA vs La Mesa, CA

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Chula Vista needs about $84,500 in La Mesa to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from La Mesa, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Chula Vista.

A few differences

Chula Vista vs La Mesa · facet by facet
FacetChula Vista, CALa Mesa, CA
Median home price$758,700$812,000
2-bedroom rent$2,175/mo$2,217/mo
Property tax rate0.75%0.75%
State & local income tax2.09%2.09%
Sales tax8.8%8.8%
Cost of living index140144
Groceries index112112
Utilities$245/mo$245/mo
Median household income$108,032$95,028
Unemployment rate5.2%5.2%
Crime index52/10052/100
School rating5.5/105.5/10
Sunny days / year260 days260 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Chula Vista, CA · La Mesa, CA
Questions & answers
Is Chula Vista cheaper than La Mesa?
Chula Vista has the lower day-to-day cost index (140 vs 144 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in La Mesa equals $85,000 in Chula Vista?
A household earning $85,000 in Chula Vista needs about $84,500 in La Mesa to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of La Mesa lifestyle costs about $85,500 in Chula Vista.