San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

159,963

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

37.9

0.798% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.47%

1.63% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$109,099

6.37% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$878,100

5.63% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

74,959

1.68% 1-year decline

About

23.4% of the households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.8% of the residents in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA are Alliant International University-San Diego (1,366 degrees awarded in 2024) and California Hair Design Academy (101 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was $878,100, and the homeownership rate was 55.9%.

Most people in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.9 minutes. The average car ownership in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was 2 cars per household.

San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA borders San Diego County (Central)--Lakeside, Winter Gardens & Ramona PUMA, CA, San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (Northeast/Rancho Bernardo) & Poway Cities PUMA, CA, San Diego County (Central)--San Diego City (Central/Mira Mesa & University Heights) PUMA, CA, San Diego County (Central)--El Cajon & Santee Cities PUMA, CA, San Diego County (West Central)--San Diego City (Central/Clairemont & Kearny Mesa) PUMA, CA, San Diego County (South Central)--San Diego City (Central/Mid-City) PUMA, CA, San Diego County (South)--San Diego City (Southeast/Encanto & Skyline) PUMA, CA, and San Diego County (South Central)--Lemon Grove City, La Presa & Spring Valley PUMA, CA.

United States California

Population & Diversity

San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA is home to a population of 160k people, from which 95.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 13.3% of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA residents were born outside of the country (21.3k people).

In 2024, there were 5.56 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (88k people) in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 15.8k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 13.3k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA are Spanish (18,166 households), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (1,881 households), and Arabic (1,803 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

82,196

Women

51.4%

77,712

Men

48.6%

The resident population of United States in 2024 was 159,908 inhabitants, with 48.6% men, and 51.4% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

95.8%

2024 Citizenship

95.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.8% of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was 95.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
88k ± 2.58k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
15.8k ± 1.98k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
13.3k ± 1.33k

22.8%

Hispanic Population

36.5k people

22.8% of the people in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA are hispanic (36.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
4,390 ± 1,604 people
Philippines
1,994 ± 1,089 people
Vietnam
1,769 ± 1,027 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was Mexico, the natal country of 4,390 San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA residents, followed by Philippines with 1,994 and Vietnam with 1,769.

Foreign-Born Population

13.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

21.3k people

13.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

21.9k people

As of 2024, 13.3% of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA residents (21.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was 13.7%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
18,166 households (12.2%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
1,881 households (1.26%)
Arabic
1,803 households (1.21%)

23.4% of the households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was Spanish. 12.2% of the households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
5,231 ± 676
Vietnam
2,574 ± 469
Gulf War (1990s)
1,598 ± 420

San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.03 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA.

Health

96.6% of the population of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA has health coverage, with 51.3% on employee plans, 11.4% on Medicaid, 11.8% on Medicare, 15.7% on non-group plans, and 6.38% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

1,233 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in California

Primary care physicians in California see an average of 1,233 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in California in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.6% under 18 years, 20.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 17% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.6% were men and 52.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.45%

Uninsured

51.3%

Employer Coverage

11.4%

Medicaid

11.8%

Medicare

15.7%

Non-Group

6.38%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA declined by 6.96% from 3.7% to 3.45%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA employs 75k people. In 2024, the largest industries in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA were Elementary & secondary schools (5,194 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (4,385 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (3,287 people), and the highest paying industries were Communications, & audio & video equipment manufacturing ($175,545), Computer & peripheral equipment manufacturing ($165,468), and Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping & payroll services ($163,487).

Males in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA have an average income that is 1.08 times higher than the average income of females, which is $94,973. The income inequality in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.425, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

35,936

Women

47.9%

39,023

Men

52.1%

The workforce of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA in 2024 was 74,959 people, with 47.9% woman, and 52.1% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

75k

2024 Value

−1.68%

1 Year decline

± −1.68%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA declined at a rate of −1.68%, from 76.2k employees to 75k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA, are Registered nurses (2,355 people), Other managers (2,286 people), and Software developers (1,908 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

75k

2024 Value

−1.68%

1 Year decline

± −1.68%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA declined at a rate of −1.68%, from 76.2k employees to 75k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA, are Elementary & secondary schools (5,194 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (4,385 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (3,287 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA, though some of these residents may live in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$77,372

Median earning men ± $2,576

$60,891

Median earning women ± $2,729

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($107,974), Public Administration ($103,440), and Manufacturing ($100,402).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($108,261), Public Administration ($87,011), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($84,841).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 51 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA awarded 1,467 degrees. The student population of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 1,231 male students and 3,397 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA are White (571 and 42.3%), Hispanic or Latino (428 and 31.7%), Asian (101 and 7.48%), and Black or African American (101 and 7.48%).

The largest universities in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA by number of degrees awarded are Alliant International University-San Diego (1,366 and 93.1%) and California Hair Design Academy (101 and 6.88%).

The most popular majors in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA are Marriage & Family Therapy (240 and 16.4%), Teacher Education & Professional Development (215 and 14.7%), and Clinical Psychology (209 and 14.2%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 4,628 students enrolled in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA, 26.6% men and 73.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,605 records, of which 75.2% were women and 24.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Teacher Education & Professional Development
215 degrees awarded
Marriage & Family Therapy
198 degrees awarded
General Special Education & Teaching
88 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was Teacher Education & Professional Development with 215 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Alliant International University-San Diego
1,366 degrees awarded
California Hair Design Academy
101 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Alliant International University-San Diego with 1,366 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 334 men were awarded degrees from institutions in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA, which is 0.295 times less than the 1,133 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 571 degrees mean that there were 1.33 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 428 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($13,944) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($310) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($938) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, 0.51% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.601% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA in 2024 were Bachelors Degree (35.3k), Some college (26.5k), and Graduate Degree (24.2k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was $878,100 in 2024, which is 2.64 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $831,300 to $878,100, a 5.63% increase. The homeownership rate in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA is 55.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA have an average commute time of 23.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$878,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,544

$35,530

Median Property Taxes

±$1,264

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

55.9%

Homeownership

2024

69.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 55.9% of the housing units in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 55.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$109,099

Median Household Income

± $2,866

63.5k

Number of Households

± 2,025

In 2024, the median household income of the 63.5k households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA grew to $109,099 from the previous year's value of $102,569.

The following chart displays the households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

0.425

2024 Wage GINI in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA

0.43

2023 Wage GINI in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA

In 2024, the income inequality in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was 0.425 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.22% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (68.3%)
Worked At Home (21.2%)
Carpooled (6.04%)

In 2024, 68.3% of workers in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (21.2%) and those who carpooled to work (6.04%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA have a shorter commute time (23.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.4% of the workforce in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

8.47% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA (13.4k out of 159k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in San Diego County (Central)--San Diego (East Central/Navajo) & La Mesa Cities PUMA, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.