State
County
Land Area
9.1 sq mi
Density
6,484.0/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
-0.24%
Growth Since 2010
3.34%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
La Mesa is a city located in California. With a 2020 population of 58,969, it is the 152nd largest city in California and the 656th largest city in the United States. La Mesa is currently declining at a rate of -0.24% annually but its population has increased by 3.34% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 57,065 in 2010. La Mesa reached it's highest population of 59,751 in 2016. Spanning over 9 miles, La Mesa has a population density of 6,484 people per square mile.
The average household income in La Mesa is $83,669 with a poverty rate of 12.61%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,547 per month, and the median house value is $530,400. The median age in La Mesa is 35.7 years, 34.1 years for males, and 37.4 years for females. For every 100 females there are 89.2 males.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of La Mesa was:
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 42,494 | 71.35% |
| Black or African American | 4,820 | 8.09% |
| Asian | 4,497 | 7.55% |
| Two or More Races | 4,282 | 7.19% |
| Some Other Race | 2,795 | 4.69% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 433 | 0.73% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 235 | 0.39% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 23,288 | 2.52 | 41.5 |
| Married | 9,587 | 3.27 | 55.3 |
| Non Family | 9,585 | 1.41 | 33.9 |
| Female | 2,999 | 3.41 | 28.2 |
| Male | 1,117 | 3.27 | 25.1 |
3.17
Average Family Size
2.52
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 1,125 | 2.65% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,970 | 4.65% |
| High School Graduate | 7,823 | 18.45% |
| Some College | 12,071 | 28.46% |
| Associates Degree | 3,417 | 8.06% |
| Bachelors Degree | 10,210 | 24.07% |
| Graduate Degree | 5,795 | 13.66% |
| Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 26,948 | 25,749 | 11,255 |
| Hispanic | 8,092 | 6,726 | 1,693 |
| Black | 3,059 | 2,855 | 929 |
| Asian | 3,039 | 2,800 | 1,673 |
| Multiple Races | 1,910 | 1,780 | 503 |
| Other Race | 1,644 | 1,312 | 248 |
| Native American | 312 | 247 | 56 |
| Islander | 175 | 175 | 133 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 76.00%.
$43,532
Average Earnings
$51,100
Average Male
$35,438
Average Female
75.85% of La Mesa residents speak only English, while 24.15% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 13.33% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 32,723 | 2,990 | 9.14% |
| Hispanic | 14,291 | 2,017 | 14.11% |
| Asian | 4,486 | 1,157 | 25.79% |
| Multiple | 4,271 | 764 | 17.89% |
| Black | 4,775 | 571 | 11.96% |
| Other | 2,740 | 347 | 12.66% |
| Native | 433 | 44 | 10.16% |
| Islander | 231 | 40 | 17.32% |
12.61%
Overall Poverty Rate
11.25%
Male Poverty Rate
13.83%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in La Mesa is Asian, with 25.79% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in La Mesa is White, with 9.14% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.73%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.75%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.67%.
42.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
45.3%
Male Marriage Rate
39.9%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,323 | 9.52% |
| Hispanic | 594 | 6.12% |
| Black | 551 | 14.98% |
| 2 or More | 203 | 8.55% |
| Asian | 154 | 4.58% |
| Other | 38 | 2.04% |
| Indian | 14 | 3.57% |
| Hawaiian | 8 | 3.77% |
7.58%
Veteran Poverty Rate
19.30%
Veteran Disability Rate
67.6%
Labor Force Participation
61.5%
Employment Rate
7%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
84.45%
Native Born
15.55%
Foreign Born
6.32%
Non Citizen
9.24%
Naturalized
84.45% of La Mesa residents were born in the United States, with 54.59% having been born in California. 6.32% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58,969 | -140 | -0.24% |
| 2020 | 59,109 | -140 | -0.24% |
| 2019 | 59,249 | -140 | -0.24% |
| 2018 | 59,389 | -333 | -0.56% |
| 2017 | 59,722 | -29 | -0.05% |
| 2016 | 59,751 | 54 | 0.09% |
| 2015 | 59,697 | 842 | 1.43% |
| 2014 | 58,855 | 299 | 0.51% |
| 2013 | 58,556 | 457 | 0.79% |
| 2012 | 58,099 | 455 | 0.79% |
| 2011 | 57,644 | 495 | 0.87% |
| 2010 | 57,149 | 2,400 | 0.43% |
| 2000 | 54,749 | 1,818 | 0.34% |
| 1990 | 52,931 | 2,623 | 0.51% |
| 1980 | 50,308 | 11,130 | 2.53% |
| 1970 | 39,178 | 8,737 | 2.56% |
| 1960 | 30,441 | 19,495 | 10.77% |
| 1950 | 10,946 | 7,021 | 10.80% |
| 1940 | 3,925 | 1,412 | 4.56% |
| 1930 | 2,513 | 1,509 | 9.61% |
| 1920 | 1,004 | 0.00% |