San Diego/Compare
La Jolla vs Mira Mesa
La Jolla and Mira Mesa are two official community planning areas in San Diego. Mira Mesa is the calmer Part I map (95 vs 58). Mira Mesa wins the errand count. Mira Mesa has the lower ACS median ($2,756).
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 | La Jolla | Mira Mesa |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 58 | 95 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 13 | 40 |
| Cost fit | 83 | 91 |
| Vibe | 15 | 30 |
| Median rent | $3,029 | $2,756 |
| Median home | $1,908,428 | $883,680 |
| Population | 24,818 | 77,845 |
| Commute to Downtown | 28 min | 28 min |
| Commute to UTC | 12 min | 12 min |
| Commute to Mission Valley | 22 min | 18 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | La Jolla | Mira Mesa |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 29% | 46% |
| Median age | 52.2 | 37 |
| Median income | $179K | $133K |
| Part I per 1k | 18.5 | 11.3 |
| Groceries / 800m | 8 | 28 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 38 | 167 |
| Parks / 800m | 65 | 103 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for San Diego city. Up 70% since 2014. La Jolla is 31% above 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 La Jolla if you already want this pocket more than the table. Mira Mesa leads the numbered axes on this page.
Pick Mira Mesa if the quieter map matters more than the scene and you want the errands on foot. Safety is 95 vs 58. Walk is 40 vs 13. Vibe is 30 vs 15. Read both pages before you decide.
La Jolla
Prospect and the coves. Oldest median age in this set, 52.2, and only 29% of households rent. The home median is $1,908,428. Violent Part I is 1.6 per 1,000. Property is 16.9, which is the shops as much as the side streets. The inland campus is a different plan.
$3,029 median rent · safety 58 · walk 13
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, La Jolla or Mira Mesa?
Mira Mesa is the lower ACS median: $3,029 vs $2,756. About 46% rent in Mira Mesa vs 29% in La Jolla. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is La Jolla more walkable than Mira Mesa?
Mira Mesa wins the errand count (walk 13 vs 40). Groceries inside 800 meters: 8 vs 28. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, La Jolla or Mira Mesa?
Mira Mesa is the calmer Part I read (95 vs 58). Combined rate 11.3 vs 18.5 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, La Jolla or Mira Mesa?
La Jolla leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 52.2 vs 37. Mira Mesa has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
28 minutes from La Jolla to Downtown, 28 from Mira Mesa. A wash on this estimate. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official community planning area that is not La Jolla or Mira Mesa: Carmel Valley. Highest income in this set, $199,791, and the highest rent, $3,374. Violent Part I is 0.4 per 1,000, the lowest here. Property is 5.7, also the lowest. Bachelor's share is 83%. OSM transit stops in or near the plan: 4. Houses and a drive. This is not the coast village.
Scores are relative among official San Diego community planning areas with the same editorial weights. Read the method.