La Mesa, CA vs Santa Monica, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

La Mesa

62.8

#1822 nationally

vs

Santa Monica

59.6

#1949 nationally

La Mesa leads in crime level (11.4 vs 21.3). La Mesa leads in cost of living index (160 vs 273). Santa Monica leads in walk score (83 vs 60).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric La Mesa, CA Santa Monica, CA
WhereAtHome Score 62.8 (#1822) 59.6 (#1949)
Population 60,537 89,922
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $896,209 $1,685,560
Median Household Income $83,649 $106,797
Average Commute 25.6 min 25.3 min
Walk Score 60 83
Crime Level 11.4 21.3
School Rating N/A N/A
Cost of Living Index 160 273
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+16.8 D+32.9