Should I Move To
La Mesa, California comes in at about 60,888 residents. Cost of living comes out very expensive — 40% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,819/mo, and the median household income is about $83,649. Overall, 39/100 on our composite score, which works out to a F, putting it at #826 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 140 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very expensive territory. With median rent at $1,819/mo and median household income at $83,649, housing takes about 26% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $684,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect warm year-round weather — summers near 75°F, winters around 51°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 10 inches annually. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential. AQI is in the moderate range at about 50.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
La Mesa is a tougher sell for families. The profile-weighted score is 39/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is walkability (83/100); the soft spot is affordability (7/100).
La Mesa is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 39/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is walkability (83/100); the soft spot is affordability (7/100).
La Mesa is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 31/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is walkability (83/100); the soft spot is affordability (7/100).
La Mesa is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 46/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is walkability (83/100); the soft spot is affordability (7/100).
Our overall score for La Mesa is 39/100 — a F, sitting at #826 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, La Mesa sits at 140 — very expensive, 40% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,819 a month.
La Mesa runs warm year-round on the weather. Summer's near 75°F, winter's near 51°F; 10 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 83/100. Walking covers most daily life if you live in a central neighborhood; a car is helpful for longer trips but not essential.
Roughly 60,888 people live here, with 38% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 36.
Drop La Mesa into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare La Mesa with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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