Population 72,849 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Central Mesa
Household size in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.77 | 2.83 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.80 | 2.82 | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.84 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.71 | 2.69 | 2.80 | 2.70 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.08 | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in Central Mesa average 2.71 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.77, as it has nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.1 | 37.1 | 35.6 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.0 | 38.6 | 36.9 | 38.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 39.1 | 38.3 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.9 | 40.2 | 39.1 | 40.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +3.1 | +3.5 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Central Mesa are younger than 38.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 35.1 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 11.7% | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 13.1% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.5% | 12.0% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 11.9% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in seven households in Central Mesa (13.6%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 1.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Central Mesa
Renters in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9% | 32.7% | 32.8% | 32.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.4% | 37.8% | 37.7% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.3% | 37.5% | 36.6% | 35.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.5% | 33.7% | 33.4% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Central Mesa is about as common as it is nationally: 35.5% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among owners, 36.2% have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is down 2.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 13.2% | 14.1% | 15.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 14.0% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 11.9% | 10.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 9.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −3.5 pts | −5.6 pts | −5.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Central Mesa than nationally: 7.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has fallen 3.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1985 | 1988 | 1987 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1986 | 1989 | 1988 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1987 | 1990 | 1989 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1990 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Central Mesa are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1985, versus 1980 across the U.S. Still, homes here are older than in Mesa overall, where the median home dates to 1990. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the west has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $937 | $1,044 | $1,123 | $1,043 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $946 | $1,079 | $1,158 | $1,078 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,128 | $1,234 | $1,342 | $1,227 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,715 | $1,815 | $1,927 | $1,736 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$778 | +$771 | +$804 | +$694 | +$606 |
The median renter in Central Mesa pays $1,715 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Mesa as a whole ($1,815). Rent has climbed $778 a month since 2006–10, up 83%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Central Mesa
Bachelor's degrees in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 23.4% | 27.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.9% | 24.1% | 28.5% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 26.9% | 31.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.5% | 32.3% | 35.0% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +8.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Central Mesa than nationally: 30.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 9.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.7% | 85.3% | 85.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.5% | 86.8% | 86.0% | 85.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.6% | 88.3% | 87.2% | 86.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.3% | 90.7% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +5.4 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Central Mesa have finished high school (92.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 6.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Central Mesa
| Period | Central Mesa | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 6.8% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 9.4% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Central Mesa runs below the national rate: 4.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 3.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Central Mesa compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Mesa | 2.71 | 38.9 | 13.6% | 35.5% | 7.9% | 1985 | $1,715 | 30.5% | 92.3% | 4.5% |
| Woodridge Lakes | 2.96 | 38.4 | 8.6% | 17.3% | 4.5% | 1978 | $1,688 | 39.7% | 93.5% | 4.9% |
| West Central | 2.97 | 32.8 | 23.0% | 59.3% | 7.7% | 1979 | $1,504 | 17.5% | 77.5% | 5.6% |
| Hohokam Village | 2.60 | 31.4 | 25.1% | 54.7% | 8.8% | 1983 | $1,687 | 32.5% | 89.8% | 13.7% |
| Heritage District | 2.31 | 34.3 | 7.4% | 50.2% | 5.3% | 1992 | $1,758 | 36.6% | 90.9% | 1.7% |
| Northeast | 2.45 | 49.1 | 7.5% | 20.3% | 13.3% | 1993 | $1,885 | 36.3% | 93.6% | 3.8% |
| Southwest Mesa | 2.39 | 35.3 | 13.2% | 50.9% | 8.6% | 1981 | $1,675 | 32.6% | 91.6% | 4.4% |
| The Islands | 2.38 | 44.4 | 9.0% | 19.4% | 3.3% | 1992 | $2,730 | 47.6% | 95.3% | 3.4% |
| Southeast Mesa | 2.57 | 43.5 | 10.2% | 26.3% | 12.4% | 1998 | $2,023 | 32.9% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
| Escalante | 2.60 | 32.4 | 3.1% | 55.2% | 5.9% | 1991 | $1,832 | 41.9% | 79.7% | 6.6% |
| Meyer Park | 2.29 | 33.8 | 6.2% | 43.9% | 9.3% | 1975 | $1,721 | 45.6% | 98.6% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Ridgewood, Queens, NY · West Ridge, Chicago, IL · Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, CA · Covina-Valley, Covina, CA · Far Rockaway, Queens, NY · Far North Dallas-Keller, Keller, TX · West Torrance, Torrance, CA · Sunnyside, Queens, NY · West, Fresno, CA · Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Central Mesa. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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