Population 3,867 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mesa Forest
Household size in Mesa Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.06 | 2.69 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.13 | 2.79 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.19 | 2.83 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.01 | 2.55 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.14 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Mesa Forest are small: just 2.01 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home.
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 Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.7 | 34.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.7 | 35.2 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 36.3 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.8 | 37.2 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +3.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.8, the median age in Mesa Forest is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in the Austin area as a whole, where the median age is 37.2. Mesa Forest is older than the great majority of Austin neighborhoods.
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 Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.4% | 11.8% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.4% | 11.2% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 9.8% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 9.7% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −2.2 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.6% of households in Mesa Forest, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 3.2 points, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Forest
Renters in Mesa Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.4% | 40.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.7% | 42.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.8% | 41.8% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.3% | 41.7% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +1.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Mesa Forest than nationally: 49.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 60.1% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Compared with other Austin neighborhoods, though, Mesa Forest has a lower share of renters than most.
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 Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 8.8% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 8.5% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 8.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 5.9% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | −2.9 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Mesa Forest is close to the national rate: 8.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Austin area as a whole (5.9%).
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 Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1990 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1995 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 2000 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +10 | +8 | +6 |
Homes in Mesa Forest are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in the wider Austin area, where the median home dates to 2000.
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 Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,244 | $1,064 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,424 | $1,155 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,639 | $1,428 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,884 | $1,911 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$640 | +$847 | +$639 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Mesa Forest costs $1,884 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. The picture is much the same across the Austin area. Rent takes 24.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under 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 Forest
Bachelor's degrees in Mesa Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.1% | 38.3% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 74.6% | 40.3% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 76.2% | 44.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 84.0% | 50.4% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +12.1 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Mesa Forest is highly educated: just over eight in ten adults 25 and older (84.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Of Austin's 61 neighborhoods, only three have a higher share of college graduates.
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 Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.2% | 87.6% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.0% | 88.3% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.7% | 89.9% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.4% | 91.6% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +4.0 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Mesa Forest: 98.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Mesa Forest has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Austin neighborhoods.
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 Forest
| Period | Mesa Forest | Austin area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 6.4% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 6.9% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.4% | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 4.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | −2.2 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mesa Forest runs well above the national rate: 9.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Few Austin neighborhoods have higher unemployment: only three of 61. 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 Forest 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Forest | 2.01 | 40.8 | 5.6% | 49.3% | 8.7% | 1980 | $1,884 | 84.0% | 98.4% | 9.4% |
| North Shoal Creek | 1.67 | 39.5 | 5.4% | 57.6% | 5.3% | 1973 | $1,614 | 63.8% | 95.8% | 4.0% |
| Allandale | 2.26 | 41.3 | 3.9% | 38.2% | 8.6% | 1966 | $1,695 | 76.5% | 98.7% | 4.2% |
| Wooten | 2.29 | 33.4 | 17.1% | 55.8% | 6.7% | 1971 | $1,536 | 42.0% | 89.1% | 6.5% |
| Crestview | 1.92 | 35.9 | 6.0% | 54.7% | 8.7% | 1984 | $1,978 | 79.6% | 98.2% | 3.0% |
| Brentwood | 1.82 | 36.8 | 3.0% | 67.1% | 5.5% | 1975 | $1,750 | 70.5% | 97.0% | 4.1% |
| North Austin | 2.41 | 34.1 | 19.8% | 67.8% | 7.5% | 1978 | $1,520 | 30.0% | 74.2% | 6.3% |
| Highland | 2.11 | 31.7 | 18.4% | 71.0% | 8.4% | 1981 | $1,636 | 55.0% | 93.5% | 4.1% |
| North Burnet | 1.43 | 31.7 | 4.5% | 89.9% | 9.5% | 2004 | $1,803 | 66.8% | 96.5% | 4.7% |
| Georgian Acres | 2.17 | 34.3 | 14.2% | 80.4% | 5.8% | 1981 | $1,391 | 43.9% | 82.5% | 10.6% |
| North Lamar | 3.12 | 32.3 | 22.2% | 78.3% | 6.0% | 1989 | $1,541 | 28.6% | 72.6% | 0.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Squak Mountain, Issaquah, WA · Highland Park, Norfolk, VA · Hillside, Coral Hills, MD · Hillwood Estates, Nashville, TN · Hopkins Fitch Grant, Holly Hill, FL · Italian Village, Coral Gables, FL · South Side, Sandusky, OH · Southeast Growth Area, Fresno, CA · Spring Glen, Hamden, CT · Hickman Mills, Kansas City, MO
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 Forest. 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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