La Mesa, CA · standard
ZIP Code 91942
San Diego County, California — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 38,069
- 2,506/sq mi
- $92,896
- Median income
- $775,700
- Median home value
- 40.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
La Mesa pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 24%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 5%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2,506
- people per sq mi
- 46%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 91942 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 91942 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 15.2 square miles in La Mesa, San Diego County, California. The area is home to 38,069 residents, producing a population density of 2,506 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 91942 against California and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 91942 sits at $92,896 (9% below the California average), while per-capita income is $49,775. The poverty rate stands at 12.3% and the unemployment rate at 5.9%. On housing, the median home value is $775,700 (0% above the state average) with median rent at $2,032 per month, and 45.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 91942 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 40.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.7, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing San Diego County, so you can benchmark 91942 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 91942
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 91942.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
328 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
195 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
191 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
153 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
145 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 91942, La Mesa, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
38,069
Population
15.2
Area (sq mi)
2,506
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 91942?
37.7
Median Age
48.3%
Male
51.7%
Female
14.2%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$92,896
Median Household Income
-9% vs state
$49,775
Per Capita Income
12.3%
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
23.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 91942 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$92,896 Top 24% higher than 76% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
18,607
Total Housing Units
17,684
Occupied Units
923
Vacant Units
2.30
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$775,700
Median Home Value
+0% vs state
$2,032
Median Rent
1971
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+6.3%
YoY Change (2024)
377
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+277%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 91942 have increased 6.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +277% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.9% | 257 |
| 2021 | +15.2% | 296 |
| 2022 | +18.3% | 350 |
| 2023 | +1.3% | 355 |
| 2024 | +6.3% | 377 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 1,532 business establishments in ZIP 91942, employing approximately 20,503 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,239,011,000.
1,532
Businesses
20,503
Employees
$1.2B
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 328 | 21.4% |
| Retail trade | 195 | 12.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 191 | 12.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 153 | 10.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 145 | 9.5% |
| Construction | 117 | 7.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 108 | 7.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 108 | 7.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 60 | 3.9% |
| Educational services | 30 | 2.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 22 | 1.4% |
| Manufacturing | 21 | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 20 | 1.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 19 | 1.2% |
| Information | 13 | 0.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 91942 vs 92119 →
ZIP 91942 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 92105
San Diego (92105)
69,813 residents
- 92114
San Diego (92114)
65,433 residents
- 92115
San Diego (92115)
58,560 residents
- 91977
Spring Valley (91977)
58,368 residents
- 92020
El Cajon (92020)
57,767 residents
- 92071
Santee (92071)
53,422 residents
- 91942
La Mesa (91942)
38,069 residents
- 91941
La Mesa (91941)
31,779 residents
- 92120 26,317
San Diego (92120)
26,317 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 91942 ranks #7 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 91942 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 92120
San Diego (92120)
$120,661 median income
- 91941
La Mesa (91941)
$115,381 median income
- 92071
Santee (92071)
$113,618 median income
- 92119
San Diego (92119)
$113,435 median income
- 91977
Spring Valley (91977)
$99,657 median income
- 92114
San Diego (92114)
$97,794 median income
- 91942
La Mesa (91942)
$92,896 median income
- 91945
Lemon Grove (91945)
$88,016 median income
- 92115
San Diego (92115)
$79,199 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 91942 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92119 | San Diego, CA | 23,057 | 2.3 mi |
| 91941 | La Mesa, CA | 31,779 | 2.0 mi |
| 91945 | Lemon Grove, CA | 25,460 | 3.1 mi |
| 92115 | San Diego, CA | 58,560 | 3.1 mi |
| 92120 | San Diego, CA | 26,317 | 3.1 mi |
| 92020 | El Cajon, CA | 57,767 | 3.3 mi |
| 91977 | Spring Valley, CA | 58,368 | 3.8 mi |
| 92114 | San Diego, CA | 65,433 | 5.2 mi |
| 92071 | Santee, CA | 53,422 | 5.4 mi |
| 92105 | San Diego, CA | 69,813 | 5.0 mi |
More ZIP Codes in San Diego County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the population of ZIP code 91942? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 91942? ▼
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 91942? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 91942? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 91942? ▼
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What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 91942? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 91942? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for La Mesa, CA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.