San Diego/Compare
Kensington vs Mira Mesa
Kensington and Mira Mesa are two official community planning areas in San Diego. Mira Mesa is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 47). Mira Mesa wins the errand count. Kensington has the lower ACS median ($2,002).
Data period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · SDPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Oct 2026. ACS and SDPD retrieved 2026-10-14; OSM retrieved 2026-10-14. Editorial copy last revised Sep 2026.
Scores
Fit axes among official San Diego community planning areas.
| Axis | Kensington | Mira Mesa |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 95 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 0 | 40 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 91 |
| Vibe | 0 | 30 |
| Median rent | $2,002 | $2,756 |
| Median home | $1,265,367 | $883,680 |
| Population | 14,883 | 77,845 |
| Commute to Downtown | 18 min | 28 min |
| Commute to UTC | 20 min | 12 min |
| Commute to Mission Valley | 12 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Kensington | Mira Mesa |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 59% | 46% |
| Median age | 39 | 37 |
| Median income | $120K | $133K |
| Part I per 1k | 19.9 | 11.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 4 | 28 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 18 | 167 |
| Parks / 800m | 6 | 103 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Diego city. Up 70% since 2014. Kensington is 13% below the 2024 city median. Mira Mesa is 19% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Kensington if the rent gap is the point and the shorter ride to Downtown is the point. ACS median rent is $2,002 vs $2,756. 18 vs 28 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Mira Mesa if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 95 vs 47. Walk is 40 vs 0. Vibe is 30 vs 0. Read both pages before you decide.
Kensington
Talmadge is the other name on the same line. The official plan is Mid-City: Kensington-Talmadge. Houses and a canyon, not a strip. The home median is $1,265,367. Rent is $2,002. Violent Part I is 5.1 per 1,000.
$2,002 median rent · safety 47 · walk 0
Mira Mesa
A north-inland plan of 77,845 people. Rent is $2,756. Violent Part I is 1.7 per 1,000 and property is 9.6. Income is $132,721. It is houses and errands, not a beach night. The coast is a drive.
$2,756 median rent · safety 95 · walk 40
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Kensington or Mira Mesa?
Kensington is the lower ACS median: $2,002 vs $2,756. About 59% rent in Kensington vs 46% in Mira Mesa. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Kensington more walkable than Mira Mesa?
Mira Mesa wins the errand count (walk 0 vs 40). Groceries inside 800 meters: 4 vs 28. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Kensington or Mira Mesa?
Mira Mesa is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 47). Combined rate 11.3 vs 19.9 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Kensington or Mira Mesa?
Kensington leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 39 vs 37. Mira Mesa has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
18 minutes from Kensington to Downtown, 28 from Mira Mesa. Kensington is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community planning area that is not Kensington or Mira Mesa: Normal Heights. Adams Avenue is the search. The official plan is Mid-City: Normal Heights. Rent is $1,888, one of the lower central medians, and the home median is $778,085. Violent Part I is 4.6 per 1,000. A small grid, not a campus.
Scores are relative among official San Diego community planning areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.