Signals
Valley Center
La Mesa
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs59 · Top 45%
Climate
84 · Top 10%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs40 · Bottom 4%
Access
74 · Bottom 15%
vs56 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 40%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Valley Center | La Mesa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,119 | 60,797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $132,361 | $95,028 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,880 | $49,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 405/sq mi | 6,687/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $883,700 | $812,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,750 | $2,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.6% | 47.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 40.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 11.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 89°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 14.6" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 77 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 40.4 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.1 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.93 | 20.55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.8% | 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
Valley Center
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
La Mesa
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Your best match
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Valley Center
58
Your Score
—
Area Score
La Mesa
53
Your Score
50
Area Score
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Full profiles: Valley Center, CA · La Mesa, CA · How this is calculated: methodology