2025 Compare Cities Economy:
La Mesa, CA vs Santa Barbara, CA

Change Cities
Highlights
- Household income in Santa Barbara, is 18% more than it is in La Mesa and is 23% above the National Average.
- La Mesa unemployment rate is 6.7%.
- Santa Barbara unemployment rate is 4.1%.
 La Mesa, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock4.1%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock0.8%1.6%
 Future Job Growth32.7%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes8.5%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock8.0%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$39,469  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$89,243$69,021
 Family Median Income$91,979  Unlock$85,028
 space
 Est. Households By Income
 La Mesa, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock8.4%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K3.5%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock4.4%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K7.1%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock7.3%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K7.8%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock7.9%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K14.2%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock16.1%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K8.6%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock19.6%9.5%
 space1
 Population By Occupation
 La Mesa, CASanta Barbara, CAUnited States
 Management, business, finance16.7%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock8.7%6.5%
 Community, social services2.8%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock1.3%1.2%
 Education, library7.1%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock3.3%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology5.9%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock3.7%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement2.2%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock8.3%5.4%
 Building maintenance2.1%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.2%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support20.7%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.7%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair6.7%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock6.7%13.1%
Reviews for La Mesa    9 Reviews

The same San Diego prices and high taxes, but not the nice weather. 15 degrees hotter than the coast. Save the money and move to AZ if you like the climate in La Mesa.  More

   |    Reply

I now live in Wyoming but I was a third generation San Diegan, my maternal grandmother having been born on Coronado Island in 1894. If you are a new arrival to the  More

   |    Reply

I Need Correct Information I lived there Over 20 Years  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of La Mesa

Reviews for Santa Barbara    51 Reviews

I moved to Santa Barbara around 23 years ago to study at Brooks, which like most of the Santa Barbara that I knew—has been destroyed. Homelessness, drugs, gangs, high  More

   |    Reply

Over 4 years ago

I fell in love with Santa Barbara about thirty years ago and finally moved here a few years ago. Because of the price of homes, it is an expensive place to live. The  More

   |    Reply

If you like high crime, paying a $4,500 a month mortgage and crazy high taxes, this is the place for you. It’s too bad because it wasn’t always like this. When I moved  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Santa Barbara


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.