La Mesa, CA housing market
Typical home value
$882K
▲ 2.2% 1 yr
Typical rent
$2,627/mo
▲ 1.0% 1 yr
Gross rent yield
3.6%
U.S. 6.3%
5-year home value change
+21%
U.S. +20%
Key takeaways
- 1The typical home in La Mesa is worth $881,814, up 2.2% over the past year and up 21% over five years.
- 2Typical rent is $2,627 a month (+1.0% YoY), a gross rent yield of 3.6% (below the San Diego, CA metro's 3.8%).
- 3With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on the typical home is about $4,846/mo, $2,219 more than typical rent.
- 4Zillow forecasts the San Diego, CA metro's home values to change +0.9% over the next 12 months.
Market temperature (San Diego, CA metro)
Neutral market
Buyer'sNeutralSeller's
Zillow Market Heat Index: 46/100, #192 hottest of 546 metros. Below 44 favors buyers; above 55 favors sellers.
Home values and rent
Source: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI and market activity data).
How La Mesa compares
| Measure | La Mesa | San Diego, CA metro | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical home value | $881,814 | $926,961 | $366,157 |
| Home value, 1-yr change | +2.2% | +0.8% | +1.2% |
| Typical rent | $2,627 | $2,967 | $1,932 |
| Rent, 1-yr change | +1.0% | +2.2% | +2.7% |
| Gross rent yield | 3.6% | 3.8% | 6.3% |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 28.0 | 26.0 | 15.8 |
| Mortgage P&I, typical home | $4,846 | $5,094 | $2,012 |
Run the numbers
Rental property calculator
Cash flow on a typical La Mesa rental, pre-filled.
Rent vs buy in La Mesa
Which costs less over the years you'll stay.
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment on a $882K home.
Landlord in California? See California deposit, late fee and notice rules.
Other cities in the San Diego, CA metro
San Diego, CA
$980K home$3,004 rent
▲ 0.1% 1 yr
Chula Vista, CA
$845K home$2,935 rent
▲ 1.3% 1 yr
Oceanside, CA
$865K home$2,910 rent
▲ 1.6% 1 yr
Escondido, CA
$839K home$2,590 rent
▲ 1.0% 1 yr
El Cajon, CA
$813K home$2,259 rent
■ 0.0% 1 yr
Carlsbad, CA
$1.56M home$3,531 rent
▼ 18.6% 1 yr
Vista, CA
$870K home$2,726 rent
▲ 1.3% 1 yr
San Marcos, CA
$954K home$3,311 rent
▲ 0.8% 1 yr
City figures are Zillow's typical home value (ZHVI) and observed rent (ZORI). Gross yield is before expenses. Data refreshed Oct 26, 2026.