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Average Rent in La Mesa, CA & Rent Trends

What is the average rent in La Mesa, CA?

The average listed apartment rent in La Mesa, CA is $2,509 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 142 priced apartments in 28 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

We use published total monthly rent when known and base rent otherwise. Unknown fees remain unknown. Included building observations run from November 2, 2026 through November 8, 2026. Buildings without a qualifying price do not count in this sample. The guide directory can include more buildings.

Rent prices and market trends across 28 apartment communities in La Mesa, CA. Prices update after successful source checks.

Area All Areas
La Mesa 91941 91942
Beds All Bedrooms Studio 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed

Showing any bedrooms in La Mesa, CA.

Market Average

$2,509/mo

Lowest Available

$1,789/mo

cheapest unit on market

Communities

28

tracked daily

Units Listed

142

available now

Rent Watch: cuts and increases

Open Rent Watch →

See current options while we confirm new price comparisons. Filter by bedrooms and budget, then inspect each building’s history.

Rent by Neighborhood in La Mesa, CA

Compare average rent across La Mesa, CA neighborhoods. Click any area to see detailed trends.

Neighborhood Avg Rent 30d Change From Properties Units
La Mesa 91942 $2,537 ▼  $190 $1,845 18 115
La Mesa 91941 $2,389 - $1,789 10 27

Is Rent Going Up or Down in La Mesa, CA?

As of November 2026, the average rent in La Mesa, CA is $2,509 per month across 28 apartment communities and 142 available units.

The most affordable option is Spring Hill Apartments starting at $1,789/mo. By unit type, a studio averages $2,024/mo, a 1-bedroom averages $2,294/mo, a 2-bedroom averages $2,809/mo, a 3-bedroom averages $2,946/mo.

Prices range from $1,789 to $3,786 per month. The most common price point is the $2,200 range, where 41 units are currently listed.

La Mesa, CA Rent Price History

Timeframe
View as table
Month Avg Rent Change Properties
October 2026 $2,563 - 24
November 2026 $2,460 -$103 26

The trend line and monthly averages track each building's average listed price, recorded daily with outliers trimmed. The current month is a month-to-date figure, so it can sit above or below today's live market average shown at the top of this page.

Average Rent by Bedroom

Rent Price Distribution

Rent by Bedroom Type in La Mesa, CA

Studio
$2,024
from $1,789 · 9 units
1 Bed
$2,294
from $1,850 · 71 units
2 Bed
$2,809
from $2,128 · 54 units
3 Bed
$2,946
from $2,821 · 8 units

Rent Prices by Apartment in La Mesa, CA

Property Starting at Average Units Rating
Spring Hill Apartments $1,789/mo $1,960/mo 5 3.9
Parkway Plaza Apartments $1,845/mo $2,228/mo 4 3
The Flats La Mesa $1,850/mo $1,861/mo 4 4.5
Grossmont Apartments $1,925/mo $1,983/mo 3 2
Mohawk Gardens Apartments $1,925/mo $1,925/mo 2 3
Valle at Fairway Apartments $1,943/mo $2,060/mo 6 4.3
Palms of La Mesa $2,099/mo $2,502/mo 3 4.2

Frequently Asked Questions About Rent in La Mesa, CA

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

How many bedrooms are you looking for?

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Any bedrooms

What is the average rent in La Mesa, CA?
The average listed apartment rent in La Mesa, CA is $2,509 per month, as of November 8, 2026. This sample includes 142 priced apartments in 28 buildings. These are tracked asking prices, not signed leases.

What rent range can I find in La Mesa, CA?
The apartment listings we track in La Mesa, CA range from $1,789 to $3,786 per month, as of November 8, 2026. These are the lowest and highest listed prices. They are not a typical price for every apartment. The building, floor plan, and lease terms can affect the price.

Are rents going up or down in La Mesa, CA?
There is not enough comparable history to report a reliable 30-day rent change for apartment listings in La Mesa, CA. Missing dates or a change in the buildings we track can prevent a comparison. Missing history does not mean rents stayed flat.

How much is a studio apartment in La Mesa, CA?
Studio apartments average $2,024 per month across 9 priced listings in La Mesa, CA. Listed rents range from $1,789 to $2,301 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 1-bedroom apartment in La Mesa, CA?
1-bedroom apartments average $2,294 per month across 71 priced listings in La Mesa, CA. Listed rents range from $1,850 to $3,786 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 2-bedroom apartment in La Mesa, CA?
2-bedroom apartments average $2,809 per month across 54 priced listings in La Mesa, CA. Listed rents range from $2,128 to $3,693 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How much is a 3-bedroom apartment in La Mesa, CA?
3-bedroom apartments average $2,946 per month across 8 priced listings in La Mesa, CA. Listed rents range from $2,821 to $3,063 per month, as of November 8, 2026. Compare apartments with similar floor plans and lease terms.

How do 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom rents compare in La Mesa, CA?
The 1-bedroom average is $2,294 per month across 71 listings. The 2-bedroom average is $2,809 across 54 listings, $515 (22.4%) higher. This is a comparison of listing groups, not the cost to upgrade a specific apartment.

Which tracked building has the lowest starting rent in La Mesa, CA?
Spring Hill Apartments has the lowest starting rent among the buildings in the comparison table, at $1,789 per month. We track 5 priced listings matching your bedroom choice in that building, as of November 8, 2026. The starting price applies to its lowest-priced matching apartment. Check that apartment's latest price and availability.

Which rent range has the most listings in La Mesa, CA?
The $2,200 to $2,400 monthly range has the most matching listings: 41 units, or 28.9% of the priced apartments we track in La Mesa, CA. This count does not tell us how fast the apartments rent.

How many apartment listings do you track in La Mesa, CA?
We track 142 priced units at 28 apartment buildings, as of November 8, 2026. This is not the total number of apartments in those buildings. A listing can change or become unavailable. Open the apartment details to check its latest status.

How much rent history is available for La Mesa, CA?
We have recorded rent data on 19 days from October 2026 through November 2026 for apartment listings in La Mesa, CA. Some dates can be missing. The chart only shows recorded data. The current month includes the days recorded so far.

Why can the headline rent differ from the trend chart in La Mesa, CA?
The average at the top of the page gives each matching apartment equal weight. The chart first averages recorded prices within each building, then compares buildings. It removes the highest and lowest groups when at least ten buildings contribute and omits days with fewer than five buildings. Different dates, building counts, and listing mixes can produce different figures. The monthly table averages the recorded daily figures.

Does my bedroom choice change the prices and answers?
Yes. Your chosen area and bedroom count filter the asking rents, listing counts, rent ranges, and answers on this page. The active community exclusions are Student housing and 55+ / senior community and Corporate housing and Military / active duty housing and Veteran housing. When you choose a bedroom count, the history chart uses recorded prices for matching apartments with a known identity. If those records are missing, we leave the chart empty rather than use prices for other bedroom types. Open an individual apartment to check its own price history.

Do these rents include utilities, parking, and other fees?
We use the published total monthly rent when it is available and the base rent otherwise. Unknown fees are not zero. Utilities, parking, pet charges, deposits, and one-time costs can add to the amount you pay. Check the selected unit and lease terms for a complete quote.

How should I compare free-rent offers with listed rent?
A free-rent offer can reduce the effective cost over a lease without changing the listed monthly rent. Compare the same lease length and move-in date, then include required charges and the offer conditions. The market averages do not assume an unconfirmed discount.

Does this page represent every rental in the market?
These figures describe the priced apartment listings we track, not every rental home or every occupied apartment. Coverage and the mix of bedrooms, buildings, and locations can change. A lower market average does not prove that the same apartment received a price cut.

How fresh are the La Mesa, CA rent figures?
We schedule rent updates each day, but buildings can have different price-check dates. The latest accepted price check for these listings was November 8, 2026. The month label does not mean we checked every price today. Open the building or apartment details for its latest price and availability.

What salary do I need to live comfortably in La Mesa, CA?

Built on the 25 to 30 percent rent-to-income guideline used by most landlords and credit-scoring models.

Minimum to afford average rent

$100,000/year

Based on the 30 percent rule, using our tracked average rent of $2,509/mo.

Comfortable income

$120,000/year

Based on the 25 percent rule, leaving more room for savings, transport, and groceries.

To afford the cheapest tracked apartment ($1,789/mo), you need to earn at least $72,000/year.

Median household income in La Mesa, CA is $84,337 , about 30% below the comfortable-living threshold.

Explore La Mesa, CA Apartments

Browse all 28 communities with daily-updated pricing and availability.

Browse All Apartments Find Your Match

Cost of living in La Mesa, CA

Overall prices in La Mesa, CA runs above the national average by about 11% (BEA Regional Price Parity index 110.7, where 100 equals the U.S. average). The breakdown below estimates monthly costs for a single adult, using national consumer-spending baselines from the Bureau of Labor Statistics scaled by La Mesa, CA's regional price parities.

Category Monthly estimate
Rent (market average) $2,509
Utilities $799
Groceries $552
Transportation $1,904
Healthcare $929
Other goods and services $1,486
Estimated total $8,179/mo

Population

60,835

Median household income

$84,337

Census median rent

$1,958/mo

Census rent burden

36.2%

Median age

37.1

Mean commute

25 min

Methodology

Rent data

We use listed asking rents and schedule daily data updates. Individual buildings can have different verification dates. Check the building or unit page for its latest price and availability.

Cost of living

Estimates combine national consumer-spending baselines from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Survey) with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (MARPP dataset). Both are peer-reviewed federal data releases published annually.

Salary to live comfortably

We estimate annual income by dividing annual rent by 30 percent for the affordability figure and 25 percent for the comfortable-income figure. These estimates are a guide, not a guarantee of rental approval.

Demographic figures

Median household income, population, median age, commute time, Census median rent, and rent as percentage of income come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most recent complete release.

Cost of living and demographic figures were last published in 2023.
California Rent Trends
Compare rent across all California cities
Explore La Mesa, CA on Map
See neighborhoods and rent data interactively
US-wide rent comparison
See how La Mesa, CA rents stack up against the national median

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