Population
Gardena
59,765
La Mesa
60,835
Median Income
Gardena
$79,291
La Mesa
$84,337
Home Value
Gardena
$667,600
La Mesa
$738,800
Rent
Gardena
$1,761
La Mesa
$1,958
Crime Rate
Gardena
7.03
La Mesa
4.16
Cost of Living
Gardena
162.7
La Mesa
176.3
Avg Temp
Gardena
N/A
La Mesa
N/A
Unemployment
Gardena
5.2%
La Mesa
6.3%
How Similar Are Gardena & La Mesa?
La Mesa is Gardena's #21 most similar city
4 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Gardena
59,765
La Mesa
60,835
Both cities have similar populations — Gardena at 59,765 and La Mesa at 60,835.
Violent Crime
Gardena
7.03
La Mesa
4.16
Gardena has a 41% higher violent crime than La Mesa.
Property Crime
Gardena
30.51
La Mesa
13.79
Gardena's property crime is significantly higher than La Mesa's — 55% difference.
Political Leaning
Gardena
31.9%
La Mesa
40.2%
Both cities lean Democratic, but La Mesa has a stronger Democratic lean (21% difference).
Unemployment
Gardena
5.2%
La Mesa
6.3%
La Mesa has a 18% higher unemployment than Gardena.
Median Income
Gardena
$79,291
La Mesa
$84,337
Both cities have similar median income — just a 6% difference.
Home Values
Gardena
$667,600
La Mesa
$738,800
Both cities have similar home values — just a 10% difference.
Education
Gardena
20.1%
La Mesa
27.6%
La Mesa has a 27% higher education than Gardena.
Demographics
Gardena
14.3%
La Mesa
59.4%
La Mesa's demographics is significantly higher than Gardena's — 76% difference.
Cost of Living
Gardena
162.7
La Mesa
176.3
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 8% difference.
4 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Gardena and La Mesa share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Gardena
0
La Mesa
Cost of Living & Affordability — Gardena leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDGardena has a fair market rent (1br) of $2,085 vs $2,459 in La Mesa (15% lower). Gardena has a fair market rent (2br) of $2,601 vs $3,001 in La Mesa (13% lower). Gardena scores 244.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 271.5 in La Mesa.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Gardena leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSGardena has a median property tax of $4,309 vs $4,927 in La Mesa (13% lower). La Mesa has a vacancy rate of 4.7% compared to 5.2% in Gardena. Gardena has a median rent of $1,761 vs $1,958 in La Mesa (10% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLa Mesa has a work from home of 14.9% compared to 8.8% in Gardena. La Mesa has a per capita income of $46,783 vs $35,807 in Gardena (23% higher). Gardena has a unemployment rate of 5.2% compared to 6.3% in La Mesa.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — La Mesa leads
Source: FBI UCRLa Mesa has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.83 compared to 2.01 in Gardena. La Mesa has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 13.79 compared to 30.51 in Gardena. La Mesa has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 8.96 compared to 17.28 in Gardena.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — La Mesa leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauLa Mesa has a bachelor's degree or higher of 27.6% compared to 20.1% in Gardena. La Mesa has a high school diploma or higher of 39.9% compared to 36.2% in Gardena.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLa Mesa has a population of 60,835, about 1x the size of Gardena (59,765). La Mesa skews younger with a median age of 37.1 vs 39.8.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Gardena
La Mesa
Healthcare — La Mesa leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareLa Mesa: 3 vs Gardena: 2 for with emergency services. La Mesa: 3.7 vs Gardena: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Gardena leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLa Mesa has a work from home of 14.9% compared to 8.8% in Gardena. Gardena has a public transit of 2.7% compared to 2.4% in La Mesa. Gardena has a drive alone of 73.4% compared to 71.4% in La Mesa.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Gardena, CA
Compare Gardena against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.