Best PlacesCentral Mesa, Mesa, AZ Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Central Mesa, Mesa, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Central Mesa, Mesa ranks 1,741st of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low disaster risk by a wide margin, and summer heat is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in Central Mesa, Mesa
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Central Mesa, Mesa's strengths and weaknesses
Where Central Mesa, Mesa ranks high
- Disaster safetyBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Low property taxBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- School gradeB+, better than 92% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 207 pleasant days a year, better than 88% of neighborhoods
Where Central Mesa, Mesa ranks low
- Heat safetyBetter than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than only 2% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 26% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than only 36% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Central Mesa, Mesa
A household needs to earn about $96,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Central Mesa, Mesa home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is only a little above the area's median income of $88,608; the gap is small, which keeps homes within reach of local pay.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Central Mesa, Mesa's effective rate of 0.43%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 8 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Central Mesa, Mesa
Central Mesa, Mesa's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Central Mesa, Mesa.
Who works in Central Mesa, Mesa, and how
Work in Central Mesa, Mesa centers on retail trade and health care & social. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 80%
- Work from home 16%
- Transit, walk, or bike 5%
Life in Central Mesa, Mesa
Central Mesa, Mesa has more parkland per resident than 72% of neighborhoods. That concentrates in some parts of Central Mesa, Mesa and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Central Mesa, Mesa, month by month
Central Mesa, Mesa sees roughly 207 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 107 degrees. January highs sit near 67, with lows near 44. The comfortable stretch runs November through April.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 55° | 44° |
| April | 88° | 74° | 60° |
| July | 107° | 96° | 84° |
| October | 90° | 77° | 65° |
Flying in and out of Central Mesa, Mesa
The nearest airport, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, is about 10 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Phoenix Sky Harbor International, about 14 miles away.
The best schools in and around Central Mesa, Mesa
Schools across Central Mesa, Mesa average a B+, better than 92% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Franklin At Brimhall ElementaryA+ · 83% proficient
- Montessori Education Centre Charter School - MesaA+ · 78% proficient
- Montessori Education Centre Charter School - North CampusA− · 60% proficient
Top middle schools
- Franklin Junior High SchoolA+ · 78% proficient
- Poston Junior High SchoolC− · 29% proficient
- Taylor Junior High SchoolD+ · 26% proficient
Top high schools
- Gilbert Classical Academy 7-12A+ · 81% proficient
- Academy With Community PartnersD+ · 25% proficient
- East Valley AcademyD+ · 25% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Central Mesa, Mesa school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Central Mesa, Mesa measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Central Mesa, Mesa against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Who Central Mesa, Mesa suits
Retirees
The weather beats 88% of neighborhoods and it is quieter than 70%.
Common questions about living in Central Mesa, Mesa
Is Central Mesa, Mesa a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Central Mesa, Mesa ranks 1,741st of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on low disaster risk, low property taxes, and cell coverage, and lowest on summer heat and air quality. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Central Mesa, Mesa expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $387,059. The overall cost of living runs about 2% below the national average. Set against a $88,608 median income, cost of living beats 61% of neighborhoods.
Is Central Mesa, Mesa safe?
Yes, Central Mesa, Mesa is safer than 68% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $381 per resident a year.
What is the weather like in Central Mesa, Mesa?
July highs average about 107 degrees, and January highs near 67 with lows near 44. That works out to about 207 pleasant days a year, more than 88% of neighborhoods.
Is Central Mesa, Mesa good for families?
Schools beat 92% of neighborhoods, crime safety beats 68%, and childcare runs $1,109 a month.
Compare Central Mesa, Mesa with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Central Mesa, Mesa. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Central Mesa, Mesa represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Central Mesa, Mesa detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Central Mesa, Mesa: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Central Mesa, Mesa: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Central Mesa, Mesa: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Central Mesa, Mesa: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Central Mesa, Mesa detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.