What kinds of homes are in La Mesa, CA?

Name: Types of homes in La Mesa, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

La Mesa, CA has 26,212 (±684) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 2,883 homes per square mile of land.

45.7% are detached single-family houses.

9.8% are in buildings of two to four units.

36.0% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 26,212 (±684)
Detached houses: 45.7%
2–4 unit buildings: 9.8%
5+ unit buildings: 36.0%

Homes in La Mesa by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	La Mesa	San Diego County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	45.7% (±2.1 points)	50.0%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	7.1% (±1.2 points)	10.0%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	3.6% (±1.2 points)	1.9%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	6.2% (±1.2 points)	5.0%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	5.2% (±1.4 points)	7.2%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	7.3% (±1.3 points)	6.1%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	23.5% (±2.4 points)	16.2%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	1.0% (±0.5 points)	3.3%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.3% (±0.4 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In La Mesa, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in San Diego County (29.5%).

It is also higher than in California (24.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near La Mesa

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with La Mesa
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
La Mesa	—	36.0% (±3.1 points)	—
Lemon Grove	2.6 mi	21.0% (±3.3 points)	Lower
Casa de Oro-Mount Helix	3.1 mi	12.3% (±3.2 points)	Lower
Spring Valley	3.8 mi	16.7% (±3.5 points)	Lower
La Presa	4.1 mi	17.1% (±2.6 points)	Lower
El Cajon	4.2 mi	41.4% (±2.5 points)	Higher
Bostonia	5.8 mi	31.9% (±5.9 points)	Not measurably different
Rancho San Diego	6.0 mi	20.4% (±3.8 points)	Lower
Santee	6.3 mi	16.5% (±2.1 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Lemon Grove, CA (21.0%), Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA (12.3%), Spring Valley, CA (16.7%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: El Cajon, CA (41.4%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across San Diego County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	El Cajon	41.4% (±2.5 points)
2	San Diego	37.9% (±0.7 points)
3	National City	37.6% (±3.8 points)
4	Coronado	36.1% (±3.4 points)
5	La Mesa	36.0% (±3.1 points)
6	Imperial Beach	34.2% (±4.4 points)
7	Bostonia	31.9% (±5.9 points)
8	Vista	30.6% (±2.6 points)
9	Del Mar	28.7% (±8.9 points)
10	Escondido	28.0% (±2.2 points)
11	Solana Beach	26.7% (±4.3 points)

Showing 11 of 50 places in San Diego County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about La Mesa

How many homes are in La Mesa?

La Mesa, CA has an estimated 26,212 (±684) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in La Mesa houses or apartments?

45.7% are detached houses and 7.1% attached houses, while 45.8% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in La Mesa?

9.8% of homes in La Mesa are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — La Mesa city, California

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for La Mesa city, California (place:40004, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.