Population 6,710 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in La Mesa
Household size in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.55 | 2.62 | 2.71 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.79 | 2.67 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.63 | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.40 | 2.55 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | −0.08 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
La Mesa is a place of small households, averaging 2.40 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.55, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6 | 37.2 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.5 | 38.3 | 38.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.8 | 39.6 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.1 | 41.1 | 40.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +3.9 | +3.2 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.1, La Mesa is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 31.6 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.7% | 13.8% | 14.2% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.4% | 14.5% | 14.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 12.7% | 13.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 13.1% | 14.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.6 pts | −0.7 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in La Mesa (13.1%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The Albuquerque area as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share has fallen 6.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in La Mesa
Renters in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.5% | 31.7% | 30.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 71.8% | 33.4% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 67.1% | 33.0% | 32.3% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 60.0% | 30.9% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in La Mesa: 60.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 33.4% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has fallen 8.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 8.8% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 9.1% | 14.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 10.1% | 15.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.4% | 7.0% | 11.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in La Mesa is close to the national rate: 8.4% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 7.3 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1982 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1983 | 1981 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1984 | 1982 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1986 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
La Mesa is a place of older homes: half were built before 1963, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $601 | $884 | $777 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $669 | $970 | $866 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $708 | $1,050 | $943 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $887 | $1,356 | $1,188 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$286 | +$472 | +$411 | +$606 |
Rent in La Mesa runs $887 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $286 a month since 2006–10, up 48%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 36.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in La Mesa
Bachelor's degrees in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 29.1% | 25.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 29.5% | 25.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 31.6% | 26.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.1% | 35.0% | 30.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.7 pts | +5.9 pts | +5.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in La Mesa (27.1%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 18.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.6% | 86.0% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 67.3% | 87.3% | 83.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 68.1% | 88.4% | 85.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.8% | 90.2% | 87.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.2 pts | +4.2 pts | +5.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in La Mesa never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 16.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. La Mesa has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Albuquerque neighborhoods.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in La Mesa
| Period | La Mesa | Albuquerque area | New Mexico | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 9.3% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 6.0% | 6.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 5.4% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −1.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in La Mesa runs well above the national rate: 11.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Few Albuquerque neighborhoods have higher unemployment: only two of 42. Unemployment is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
La Mesa compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa | 2.40 | 35.1 | 13.1% | 60.0% | 8.4% | 1963 | $887 | 27.1% | 80.8% | 11.4% |
| Trumbull Village | 3.12 | 27.1 | 24.3% | 69.7% | 12.4% | 1981 | $908 | 13.7% | 68.0% | 8.0% |
| South Los Altos | 2.50 | 33.2 | 15.7% | 39.8% | 8.1% | 1966 | $1,137 | 13.9% | 84.8% | 2.8% |
| South San Pedro | 2.04 | 38.8 | 15.1% | 76.6% | 12.9% | 1965 | $841 | 20.1% | 81.1% | 12.6% |
| Uptown | 1.78 | 47.6 | 8.5% | 68.6% | 8.8% | 1969 | $1,174 | 28.2% | 95.2% | 3.4% |
| Princess Jeanne | 2.77 | 38.3 | 17.7% | 26.5% | 4.3% | 1962 | $1,331 | 22.5% | 87.3% | 7.6% |
| Nob Hill | 1.94 | 48.6 | 5.4% | 36.7% | 13.8% | 1948 | $1,619 | 72.0% | 99.7% | 5.3% |
| Se Heights | 1.95 | 43.1 | 13.2% | 47.5% | 10.4% | 1958 | $1,024 | 52.9% | 94.9% | 3.6% |
| Singing Arrow | 1.77 | 43.8 | 5.3% | 73.5% | 9.3% | 1981 | $978 | 22.0% | 81.6% | 14.6% |
| Tijeras Arroyo | 2.26 | 42.9 | 6.4% | 7.8% | 6.7% | 2003 | $1,917 | 50.4% | 95.7% | 4.6% |
| Victory Hills | 2.28 | 37.8 | 15.7% | 56.7% | 10.6% | 1961 | $776 | 41.9% | 86.0% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Southwest Area, Cedar Rapids, IA · Downtown Normal, Normal, IL · Downtown Oakdale, Oakdale, CA · Duncan Park, Lexington, KY · East Gloucester, Gloucester, MA · Kerns, Portland, OR · Lauderdale North Park, North Lauderdale, FL · North Hill Historic District, New Castle, PA · Plaza-Eastway, Charlotte, NC · South Central, Raleigh, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up La Mesa. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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