Residential comparison · 13 facts
La Mesa, CA vs San Diego, 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 La Mesa needs about $92,500 in San Diego to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Diego, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $77,500 in La Mesa.
A few differences
- San Diego is lower on sales tax (7.75% vs 8.8%).
- San Diego is lower on groceries index (108 vs 112).
- San Diego is higher on median household income ($98,000 vs $95,028).
La Mesa vs San Diego · facet by facet
| Facet | La Mesa, CA | San Diego, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $812,000 | $950,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,217/mo | $3,150/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 7.75% |
| Cost of living index | 144 | 144 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 108 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $180/mo |
| Median household income | $95,028 | $98,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 38/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 266 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: La Mesa, CA · San Diego, CA
Questions & answers
- Is La Mesa cheaper than San Diego?
- La Mesa and San Diego display the same day-to-day cost index; the differences show up facet by facet in the table above.
- What household income in San Diego equals $85,000 in La Mesa?
- A household earning $85,000 in La Mesa needs about $92,500 in San Diego to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Diego lifestyle costs about $77,500 in La Mesa.