Population 158,601 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mesa County
Household size in Mesa County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.47 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.63 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.04 | −0.03 |
Mesa County is a place of small households, averaging 2.39 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has edged down from 2.47 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest.
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 County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.8 | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Mesa County is 41.8 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.5, mirroring the country.
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 County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 9.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Mesa County (9.6%), below the national share of 11.6%. Colorado as a whole looks much the same. Compared with other Colorado counties, though, Mesa County has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 County
Renters in Mesa County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.7% | 32.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.3% | 35.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.5% | 33.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Mesa County own their homes; 27.5% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About a third of owners (33.8%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest.
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 County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 8.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −3.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Mesa County than nationally: 6.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Colorado. Mesa County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Colorado counties.
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 County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1988 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Mesa County are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center 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 Mesa County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $902 | $1,051 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,004 | $1,165 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,068 | $1,450 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,394 | $1,963 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$492 | +$912 | +$606 |
Rent in Mesa County runs $1,394 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $492 a month from 2006–10, a 55% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the center.
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 County
Bachelor's degrees in Mesa County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.6% | 36.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 37.8% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.9% | 40.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.0% | 45.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.3 pts | +9.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly a third of adults 25 and older in Mesa County (32.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 7.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the southeast.
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 County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.7% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.7% | 90.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.5% | 91.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 92.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Mesa County is above the national rate: 93.0% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Colorado. The share with a diploma is up 4.4 points from 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 Mesa County
| Period | Mesa County | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 6.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 7.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 4.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.4%, unemployment in Mesa County is the same as the national rate. The rate is higher than in Colorado as a whole (4.6%). 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).
Mesa County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa County | 2.39 | 41.8 | 9.6% | 27.5% | 6.5% | 1986 | $1,394 | 32.0% | 93.0% | 5.4% |
| Teller County | 2.12 | 50.0 | 5.7% | 19.0% | 11.9% | 1989 | $1,801 | 37.8% | 96.1% | 3.7% |
| Lincoln County | 2.31 | 44.2 | 7.3% | 28.3% | 15.3% | 1963 | $1,129 | 32.3% | 89.0% | 1.2% |
| Logan County | 2.16 | 41.3 | 5.3% | 35.1% | 8.5% | 1958 | $837 | 25.7% | 93.6% | 1.8% |
| Gove County | 2.37 | 41.3 | 4.1% | 20.6% | 12.0% | 1956 | $714 | 24.2% | 94.6% | 2.6% |
| Trego County | 1.97 | 53.8 | 9.1% | 17.8% | 21.1% | 1963 | $730 | 29.5% | 96.4% | 0.9% |
| Russell County | 2.21 | 45.4 | 11.2% | 24.9% | 16.6% | 1957 | $783 | 20.4% | 94.4% | 1.8% |
| Lincoln County | 2.25 | 44.5 | 7.0% | 19.6% | 22.7% | 1941 | $634 | 26.2% | 96.7% | 2.5% |
| Ottawa County | 2.37 | 42.5 | 9.5% | 22.8% | 12.0% | 1970 | $818 | 28.0% | 94.9% | 3.0% |
| Carson City | 2.39 | 43.0 | 13.1% | 37.7% | 6.5% | 1984 | $1,363 | 23.0% | 88.4% | 6.5% |
| Douglas County | 2.34 | 54.4 | 6.4% | 21.2% | 11.5% | 1991 | $1,542 | 31.7% | 94.2% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Stafford County, VA · Kings County, CA · Madera County, CA · Martin County, FL · Alexandria City, VA · Merrimack County, NH · Wilson County, TN · Washington County, MD · Tolland County, CT · Sullivan County, TN
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 County. 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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