Population 9,610 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mesa
Household size in Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.52 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.57 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.38 | 2.52 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Mesa is a place of small households, averaging 2.38 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.44, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the east.
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 | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.4 | 41.5 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.6 | 41.3 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.7 | 42.5 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.9 | 43.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.6 | +2.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 47.9, Mesa is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 40.4 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the northwest.
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 | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 9.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 9.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 10.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +1.1 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Mesa than nationally: 8.7%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 2.4 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 Mesa
Renters in Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.7% | 48.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.6% | 50.5% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.9% | 50.8% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 40.6% | 52.1% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +3.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Mesa rent their homes (40.6%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Even so, renters make up a smaller share here than in Santa Barbara overall (52.1%). Among homeowners, 42.7% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share has risen 3.9 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 | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 8.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 7.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −0.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Mesa than nationally: 7.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Santa Barbara. Vacancy has fallen 3.2 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 Mesa
| Period | Mesa | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1962 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1964 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1964 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1964 | 1966 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Mesa is a place of older homes: half were built before 1964, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the southeast 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
| Period | Mesa | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,644 | $1,544 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,932 | $1,642 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,446 | $2,088 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,812 | $2,707 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,168 | +$1,163 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Mesa pays $2,812 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,168 a month since 2006–10, up 71%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the north.
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 | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 53.2% | 43.1% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 59.7% | 44.6% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.6% | 49.1% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 61.0% | 51.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +8.5 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Mesa is highly educated: about six in ten adults 25 and older (61.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west 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
| Period | Mesa | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.0% | 85.5% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.2% | 85.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.7% | 87.5% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.2% | 89.6% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +4.1 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Mesa: 96.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is little changed from 2006–10, while the national rate rose.
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 | Santa Barbara | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 6.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 3.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 5.2% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Mesa than nationally: unemployment was 6.3%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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 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 | 2.38 | 47.9 | 8.7% | 40.6% | 7.8% | 1964 | $2,812 | 61.0% | 96.2% | 6.3% |
| Westside-Santa Barbara | 2.69 | 34.6 | 15.7% | 75.4% | 7.8% | 1965 | $2,384 | 38.6% | 80.2% | 7.8% |
| Waterfront | 2.04 | 39.1 | 15.2% | 80.7% | 10.1% | 1968 | $2,504 | 48.3% | 90.0% | 5.6% |
| Las Positas | 2.53 | 52.4 | 3.6% | 34.8% | 12.4% | 1968 | $3,292 | 60.0% | 94.7% | 3.8% |
| Lower East | 2.70 | 37.1 | 12.6% | 70.0% | 4.8% | 1962 | $2,351 | 36.7% | 80.2% | 5.0% |
| Eastside Santa Barbara | 2.99 | 41.0 | 15.0% | 56.3% | 1.6% | 1951 | $2,712 | 30.9% | 79.7% | 5.9% |
| Upper State | 2.31 | 48.3 | 6.3% | 47.4% | 9.3% | 1966 | $2,662 | 59.0% | 93.9% | 5.1% |
| Riviera | 2.43 | 46.1 | 7.3% | 35.6% | 8.1% | 1963 | $2,675 | 62.6% | 92.6% | 2.7% |
| Sea View Estates | 3.87 | 30.8 | 27.4% | 31.6% | 6.6% | 1982 | $1,907 | 25.0% | 78.9% | 5.7% |
| Via Marina | 2.71 | 44.9 | 2.8% | 39.2% | 10.0% | 1976 | $2,317 | 34.2% | 85.1% | 6.9% |
| Sierra Linda | 4.07 | 29.1 | 25.5% | 62.5% | 4.2% | 1970 | $1,897 | 10.0% | 67.5% | 8.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Guajome, Oceanside, CA · Carmel Mountain, San Diego, CA · Downtown High Point, High Point, NC · East San Gabriel, San Gabriel, CA · Fairway Park, Hayward, CA · Franklin To The Fort, Missoula, MT · Argay, Portland, OR · Kamuela, Waimea, HI · North Broadway, Escondido, CA · Northwest, Manchester, NH
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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