La Mesa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Vista
La Mesa
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs59 · Top 45%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs46 · Bottom 42%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
37 · Bottom 3%
vs40 · Bottom 4%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs56 · Bottom 5%
Economic stability
68 · Top 34%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Vista | La Mesa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 99,114 | 60,797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $94,975 | $95,028 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,149 | $49,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,225/sq mi | 6,687/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $762,400 | $812,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,249 | $2,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.7% | 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 | 29.3% | 40.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.5% | 11.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 113 | 174 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -35.4% | -42.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 74°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.4" | 11.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 61 mi | 77 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.0 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.33 | 20.55 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 71.1% | 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
Vista
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
La Mesa
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Vista, CA · La Mesa, CA · How this is calculated: methodology