Population 539,537 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mesa
Household size in Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.83 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.82 | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.84 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.69 | 2.80 | 2.70 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
At 2.69 people per household, Mesa sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in the Phoenix area overall, where it has 2.80 people. Household size has edged down from 2.77 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.1 | 35.6 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.6 | 36.9 | 38.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.1 | 38.3 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 39.1 | 40.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.1 | +3.5 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
At 40.2, the median age in Mesa is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.1, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the center.
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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Mesa (11.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in the wider Phoenix area (12.9%).
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 Mesa
Renters in Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.7% | 32.8% | 32.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.8% | 37.7% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.5% | 36.6% | 35.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.7% | 33.4% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Mesa rent their homes (33.7%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 35.0% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 14.1% | 15.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 10.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −5.6 pts | −5.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Mesa as nationally: 9.7%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 3.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1988 | 1987 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1989 | 1988 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1990 | 1989 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Mesa is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the west.
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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,044 | $1,123 | $1,043 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,079 | $1,158 | $1,078 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,234 | $1,342 | $1,227 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,815 | $1,927 | $1,736 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$771 | +$804 | +$694 | +$606 |
The median renter in Mesa pays $1,815 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the Phoenix area overall ($1,927). Rents are up $771 a month from 2006–10, a 74% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 32.1% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Mesa
Bachelor's degrees in Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.4% | 27.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.1% | 28.5% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.9% | 31.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.3% | 35.0% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Mesa (32.3%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.3% | 85.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.8% | 86.0% | 85.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.3% | 87.2% | 86.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Mesa is close to the national rate: 90.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.4 points, mirroring the country.
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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mesa runs below the national rate: 4.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.6 points, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Mesa compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa | 2.69 | 40.2 | 11.9% | 33.7% | 9.7% | 1990 | $1,815 | 32.3% | 90.7% | 4.2% |
| Higley | 2.84 | 32.7 | 9.0% | 28.6% | 3.5% | 2005 | $2,107 | 32.3% | 92.0% | 2.1% |
| Gilbert | 2.95 | 36.2 | 10.8% | 27.6% | 5.2% | 2003 | $2,299 | 48.6% | 96.4% | 3.4% |
| Tempe | 2.31 | 33.2 | 8.2% | 57.5% | 10.3% | 1987 | $1,844 | 52.7% | 94.6% | 5.7% |
| Apache Junction | 2.37 | 51.6 | 11.2% | 19.0% | 17.0% | 1992 | $1,405 | 18.9% | 89.0% | 6.8% |
| Guadalupe | 3.17 | 33.2 | 25.8% | 51.5% | 8.5% | 1992 | $1,049 | 18.1% | 80.3% | 4.4% |
| Goldfield | 2.69 | 49.6 | 10.5% | 7.1% | 12.0% | 1994 | $1,538 | 22.1% | 93.1% | 1.7% |
| Scottsdale | 2.16 | 48.1 | 6.3% | 32.0% | 13.7% | 1989 | $2,351 | 61.0% | 97.2% | 3.5% |
| Paradise Valley | 2.38 | 51.6 | 8.1% | 15.3% | 15.8% | 1986 | $2,244 | 71.8% | 98.8% | 2.2% |
| Gold Canyon | 2.03 | 64.5 | 4.6% | 7.5% | 20.0% | 2002 | $1,381 | 38.2% | 95.0% | 3.9% |
| Phoenix area | 2.80 | 39.1 | 12.9% | 33.4% | 8.4% | 1993 | $1,927 | 35.0% | 89.5% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lees Summit, MO · Largo, FL · Lakewood, CA · Lakewood, CO · Lakewood, NJ · Kansas City, MO · Jacksonville, NC · Katy, TX · Joliet, IL · Janesville, WI
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 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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