Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Settled in 1880, this town now has 473 residents.
La Mesa’s age of the median resident is 63.7 years, where New Mexico’s towns sit at 37.2 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Among 74 New Mexico towns, just one has a lower share of working residents who work in town than La Mesa. La Mesa’s trail network density is 3.3 miles per square mile, above both the New Mexico town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). La Mesa has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them San Jose Church and Frank and Amelia Jones House. La Mesa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
La Mesa is unincorporated, so Doña Ana County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 27, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in La Mesa.
The public schools here belong to the Gadsden school district. Its one school is below. Enrollment at La Mesa’s public school: 91 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Mesa on Track Prek CenterLargest public school before high schoolGrades PK | Grades PK | 91 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
For half of commuters, work is under 14 miles away. Jobs based in La Mesa fell to 23 in 2023, 35 fewer than in 2013. 17% of La Mesa residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Las Cruces (42%), El Paso (15%) and Anthony (7%).
| La Mesa | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 21% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Federal disaster aid has reached households in La Mesa after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 77% of U.S. communities. 60% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 33%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In La Mesa, nearly a fifth of adults have diabetes. The town beats the New Mexico average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. Among adults in the town, 32% say their health is fair or poor and 29% worry about having enough food.
| La Mesa | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 16% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 23% | 14% |
| What stands out | La Mesa | NM |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with depression | 19.9% | 23.2% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 7.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 23.9% | 15.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical home value in La Mesa is about $278,000, up 1.4% in a year, 12% below the New Mexico typical home. For households here, the share who own their home is 77%.
| La Mesa | New Mexico towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $570 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of La Mesa
About 0 of every 100 La Mesa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Mexico.
Where La Mesa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in La Mesa on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States
La Mesa is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, La Mesa had a population of 649. La Mesa has a post office with ZIP code 88044. NM 28 passes through the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
La Mesa has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
