El Cajon vs La Mesa
A side-by-side comparison of El Cajon and La Mesa: population, income, housing, and more.
El Cajon and La Mesa are places in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
El Cajon has the higher population (104,909 vs 60,835 in La Mesa). La Mesa has the higher median household income ($84,337 vs $66,478 in El Cajon). La Mesa has the higher median home value ($738,800 vs $632,800 in El Cajon).
Population, income & housing
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 104,909 | 60,835 |
| Median age | 35.5 yrs | 37.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $66,478 | $84,337 |
| Median home value | $632,800 | $738,800 |
| Median gross rent | $1,790 | $1,958 |
| Housing units | 35,264 | 26,420 |
| Homeownership rate | 41.1% | 46.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 38.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% | 6.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,186 → 104,909 (+1.7%) | 59,556 → 60,835 (+2.1%) |
| Median household income | $55,309 → $66,478 (+20.2%) | $66,051 → $84,337 (+27.7%) |
| Median home value | $445,600 → $632,800 (+42.0%) | $530,400 → $738,800 (+39.3%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,339 → $1,790 (+33.7%) | $1,547 → $1,958 (+26.6%) |
El Cajon
103,186104,909
$55,309$66,478
$445,600$632,800
$1,339$1,790
La Mesa
59,55660,835
$66,051$84,337
$530,400$738,800
$1,547$1,958
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7.4% | 6.5% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.5% | 14.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 7.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 18.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 16.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 11.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.9% | 10.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 9.3% |
| 75 and over | 5.2% | 6.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 53.3% | 51.9% |
| Black or African American | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 4.5% | 6.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 29.1% | 27.9% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 15.6% | 5.8% |
| High school graduate | 28.9% | 17.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.3% | 38.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.3% | 24.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.9% | 14.1% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 72.8% | 71.4% |
| Carpooled | 9.3% | 7.3% |
| Public transit | 2.6% | 2.4% |
| Walked | 2.5% | 2.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 10.2% | 14.9% |
| Other means | 2.1% | 1.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 38.7% | 44.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.3% | 7.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.0% | 9.0% |
| 5 to 19 units | 17.7% | 13.3% |
| 20 or more units | 24.5% | 24.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.0% | 1.3% |
Poverty & households
| El Cajon | La Mesa | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 20.0% | 11.7% |
| Average household size | 2.99 | 2.38 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 25 |
| Median year structure built | 1974 | 1970 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — cities in California
- Most densely populated — cities in California
- Highest median household income — cities in California
- Highest median home value — cities in California
- Most affordable home values — cities in California
- Highest median gross rent — cities in California
- Cheapest median gross rent — cities in California
- Oldest by median age — cities in California
- Youngest by median age — cities in California
- Most college-educated — cities in California
- Highest poverty rate — cities in California
- Lowest poverty rate — cities in California
- Highest homeownership rate — cities in California
- Lowest homeownership rate — cities in California
- Longest commutes — cities in California
- Shortest commutes — cities in California
- Largest households — cities in California
- Newest housing — cities in California
- Oldest housing — cities in California
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — cities in California
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — cities in California