92117 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
91942
92117
Opportunity
59 · Top 41%
vs63 · Top 33%
Growth
43 · Bottom 38%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
8 · Bottom 3%
vs8 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 6%
vs36 · Bottom 4%
Access
56 · Bottom 5%
vs54 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
66 · Top 39%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | 91942 | 92117 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,424 | 52,275 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $92,896 | $103,661 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,775 | $57,288 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,179/sq mi | 6,007/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $775,700 | $981,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,032 | $2,254 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.5% | 56.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.9% | 51.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.3% | 10.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 174 | 6,010 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -42.0% | -13.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.0" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 77 mi | 80 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.7 min | 22.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 39.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.55 | 19.74 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 48.1% | 63.4% | 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
91942
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
92117
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: 91942 — La Mesa, CA · 92117 — San Diego, CA · How this is calculated: methodology