La Mesa vs National City
A side-by-side comparison of La Mesa and National City: population, income, housing, and more.
La Mesa and National City are places in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
La Mesa has the higher population (60,835 vs 55,960 in National City). La Mesa has the higher median household income ($84,337 vs $64,248 in National City). La Mesa has the higher median home value ($738,800 vs $580,900 in National City).
Population, income & housing
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,835 | 55,960 |
| Median age | 37.1 yrs | 36.6 yrs |
| Median household income | $84,337 | $64,248 |
| Median home value | $738,800 | $580,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,958 | $1,619 |
| Housing units | 26,420 | 18,783 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.0% | 34.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.4% | 16.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 7.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,556 → 60,835 (+2.1%) | 61,121 → 55,960 (-8.4%) |
| Median household income | $66,051 → $84,337 (+27.7%) | $47,119 → $64,248 (+36.4%) |
| Median home value | $530,400 → $738,800 (+39.3%) | $402,000 → $580,900 (+44.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,547 → $1,958 (+26.6%) | $1,163 → $1,619 (+39.2%) |
La Mesa
59,55660,835
$66,051$84,337
$530,400$738,800
$1,547$1,958
National City
61,12155,960
$47,119$64,248
$402,000$580,900
$1,163$1,619
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.5% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.5% | 17.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 8.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.2% | 15.8% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.1% | 13.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 11.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.6% | 12.2% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 75 and over | 6.3% | 6.2% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 51.9% | 9.5% |
| Black or African American | 8.1% | 4.3% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 6.0% | 16.8% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 5.6% | 2.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 27.9% | 65.8% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.8% | 23.5% |
| High school graduate | 17.1% | 28.0% |
| Some college or associate's | 38.7% | 31.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | 24.3% | 13.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 14.1% | 3.9% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 71.4% | 70.3% |
| Carpooled | 7.3% | 14.7% |
| Public transit | 2.4% | 3.8% |
| Walked | 2.1% | 2.9% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Worked from home | 14.9% | 6.2% |
| Other means | 1.8% | 1.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 44.5% | 41.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 7.2% | 7.7% |
| 2 to 4 units | 9.0% | 9.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 13.3% | 17.5% |
| 20 or more units | 24.7% | 21.1% |
| Mobile home & other | 1.3% | 2.8% |
Poverty & households
| La Mesa | National City | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 14.0% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 3.09 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1970 | 1969 |
Full profiles
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