Pros- Great little city close to everything, never met a resident who disliked it. Have known people who grew up there and those who live there now, all fans of it.
Shows it is trending in the right direction on page 7, 8 and 9. It is also one of the best options for the parameters you seek. South of the 8 is significantly worse than North of the 8, but La Mesa is a bright spot. Poway might be almost as close with much lower crime and better schools but La Mesa is no slouch, and they seem to be one of the most improved since 2015. I’d rate it as a “buy.” I say this despite my friend in La Mesa was recently burglarized but that is anectdotal, sandag figures are not.
