Residential comparison · 13 facts
Imperial Beach, 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 Imperial Beach needs about $85,500 in La Mesa to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from La Mesa, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Imperial Beach.
A few differences
- La Mesa is higher on median household income ($95,028 vs $86,111).
- Imperial Beach is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,058/mo vs $2,217/mo).
- La Mesa is lower on median home price ($812,000 vs $857,000).
Imperial Beach vs La Mesa · facet by facet
| Facet | Imperial Beach, CA | La Mesa, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $857,000 | $812,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,058/mo | $2,217/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 144 | 144 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $86,111 | $95,028 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 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: Imperial Beach, CA · La Mesa, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Imperial Beach cheaper than La Mesa?
- Imperial Beach and La Mesa display the same day-to-day cost index; the differences show up facet by facet in the table above.
- What household income in La Mesa equals $85,000 in Imperial Beach?
- A household earning $85,000 in Imperial Beach needs about $85,500 in La Mesa to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of La Mesa lifestyle costs about $84,500 in Imperial Beach.