Health Profile of La Mesa, California
La Mesa Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A
La Mesa Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | La Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.0% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 13.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in La Mesa is 79.7 years, about 0.1 years longer than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 5.0%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 13.2% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
19,531 residents in La Mesa are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 1,617 503 men · 1,114 women
- 75–84 2,721 1,014 men · 1,707 women
- 65–74 4,934 2,152 men · 2,782 women
- 50–64 10,260 4,911 men · 5,349 women
Younger residents
12,206 residents in La Mesa are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 3,325 1,756 boys · 1,569 girls
- 7–12 3,307 1,835 boys · 1,472 girls
- 3–7 2,992 1,479 boys · 1,513 girls
- 0–3 2,581 1,132 boys · 1,449 girls
About 2,931 residents in La Mesa (4.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.7 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | La Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.4% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 5.4% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 28.5% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in La Mesa is about 20% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in La Mesa is about 16% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | La Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 11.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 19.2% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 19.2% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of smoking in La Mesa is about 18% lower than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 55,413 cigarettes a day, 1.7 million a month, or 20.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 609,546 minutes a day and 222.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in La Mesa is 79.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.31 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | La Mesa | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 10.88 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 10.9 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in La Mesa is moderate — acceptable air quality, though unusually sensitive individuals may notice effects.
La Mesa, CA Health Compared With Nearby Cities
La Mesa, CA is the 2nd largest of the 5 cities compared here, 61,731 residents against a local median of 31,400. Where La Mesa, CA breaks from the cities next to it is uninsured, sitting 27% below the local median of 6.8% at 5.0%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The cities themselves spread 5.2% on uninsured, so La Mesa, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. La Mesa, CA has the 2nd lowest uninsured of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa, CA | 61,731 | 79.7 yrs #2/5 | 5.0% #2/5 | 28.5% #2/5 |
| Lemon Grove, CA | 28,050 | 78.1 yrs | 8.1% | 32.4% |
| Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA | 22,051 | 81.4 yrs | 2.9% | 27.9% |
| La Presa, CA | 34,750 | 78.9 yrs | 7.1% | 31.4% |
| El Cajon, CA | 97,437 | 76.9 yrs | 6.5% | 32.1% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, La Mesa, California has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than California, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in La Mesa, California.
Is La Mesa, California a healthy place to live?
La Mesa, California has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
How long do people live in La Mesa, California?
People in La Mesa, California can expect to live 79.7 years on average, about the same as the California average of 79.6.
What percentage of La Mesa, California residents are uninsured?
5.0% of residents in La Mesa, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 20 people, 1.6 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
What percentage of La Mesa, California residents are obese?
28.5% of adults in La Mesa, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 2.1 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in La Mesa, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 55,413 cigarettes a day, 1.7 million a month, or 20.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 609,546 minutes a day and 222.5 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in La Mesa is 79.7 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 5.31 lifetimes a year.
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