91942 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
91932
91942
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 32%
vs59 · Top 41%
Growth
37 · Bottom 28%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 3%
vs8 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
32 · Bottom 3%
vs40 · Bottom 6%
Access
42 · Bottom 2%
vs56 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 43%
vs66 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | 91932 | 91942 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,741 | 41,424 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,833 | $92,896 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,172 | $49,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,018/sq mi | 7,179/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $856,900 | $775,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,011 | $2,032 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 31.3% | 45.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 40.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.8% | 12.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 61 | 174 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -31.5% | -42.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 73°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.6" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 92 mi | 77 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.1 | 37.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.92 | 20.55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 71.5% | 48.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
91932
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
91942
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 91932 — Imperial Beach, CA · 91942 — La Mesa, CA · How this is calculated: methodology