Population 67,675 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Central
Household size in West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.19 | 2.77 | 2.83 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.20 | 2.82 | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.10 | 2.84 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.97 | 2.69 | 2.80 | 2.70 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.22 | −0.08 | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in West Central are large by national standards, averaging 2.97 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.19, a much bigger shift than 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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.0 | 37.1 | 35.6 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.1 | 38.6 | 36.9 | 38.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.5 | 39.1 | 38.3 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.8 | 40.2 | 39.1 | 40.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.8 | +3.1 | +3.5 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 32.8, West Central is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 29.0 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the south 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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.0% | 11.7% | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 13.1% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 12.0% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 23.0% | 11.9% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head 23.0% of households in West Central, well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 6.1 points, 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 West Central
Renters in West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 54.3% | 32.7% | 32.8% | 32.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 61.1% | 37.8% | 37.7% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 63.5% | 37.5% | 36.6% | 35.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 59.3% | 33.7% | 33.4% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +0.9 pts | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in West Central: 59.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. About four in ten owners (39.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the south. The renter share is up 5.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 13.2% | 14.1% | 15.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 14.0% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 11.9% | 10.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 9.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | −3.5 pts | −5.6 pts | −5.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in West Central than nationally: 7.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy is down 7.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1985 | 1988 | 1987 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1986 | 1989 | 1988 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1987 | 1990 | 1989 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1990 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in West Central was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Mesa overall, where the median home dates to 1990. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the northeast.
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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $848 | $1,044 | $1,123 | $1,043 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $871 | $1,079 | $1,158 | $1,078 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $980 | $1,234 | $1,342 | $1,227 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,504 | $1,815 | $1,927 | $1,736 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$656 | +$771 | +$804 | +$694 | +$606 |
Rent in West Central runs $1,504 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Mesa as a whole ($1,815). Rents are up $656 a month from 2006–10, a 77% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.3% 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 West Central
Bachelor's degrees in West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 23.4% | 27.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 24.1% | 28.5% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.7% | 26.9% | 31.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 32.3% | 35.0% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +8.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in West Central: 17.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.6 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 67.0% | 85.3% | 85.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 69.8% | 86.8% | 86.0% | 85.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 74.2% | 88.3% | 87.2% | 86.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 77.5% | 90.7% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.6 pts | +5.4 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in West Central never finished high school, well above the national share: only 77.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 10.6 points since 2006–10, 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 West Central
| Period | West Central | Mesa | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 6.8% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 9.4% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in West Central is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Mesa overall (4.2%). Unemployment has fallen 3.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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).
West Central 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| Woodridge Lakes | 2.96 | 38.4 | 8.6% | 17.3% | 4.5% | 1978 | $1,688 | 39.7% | 93.5% | 4.9% |
| Southwest Mesa | 2.39 | 35.3 | 13.2% | 50.9% | 8.6% | 1981 | $1,675 | 32.6% | 91.6% | 4.4% |
| Central Mesa | 2.71 | 38.9 | 13.6% | 35.5% | 7.9% | 1985 | $1,715 | 30.5% | 92.3% | 4.5% |
| Heritage District | 2.31 | 34.3 | 7.4% | 50.2% | 5.3% | 1992 | $1,758 | 36.6% | 90.9% | 1.7% |
| Escalante | 2.60 | 32.4 | 3.1% | 55.2% | 5.9% | 1991 | $1,832 | 41.9% | 79.7% | 6.6% |
| The Islands | 2.38 | 44.4 | 9.0% | 19.4% | 3.3% | 1992 | $2,730 | 47.6% | 95.3% | 3.4% |
| Meyer Park | 2.29 | 33.8 | 6.2% | 43.9% | 9.3% | 1975 | $1,721 | 45.6% | 98.6% | 4.7% |
| Downtown Tempe | 1.82 | 21.6 | 1.8% | 84.8% | 19.0% | 2006 | $2,011 | 78.3% | 98.7% | 6.1% |
| Tempe Junction | 2.35 | 30.1 | 8.5% | 59.2% | 21.6% | 1964 | $1,613 | 60.5% | 93.1% | 12.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, CA · Far North Dallas-Keller, Keller, TX · Meyerland, Houston, TX · Soundview, Bronx, NY · Allston-Brighton, Brighton, MA · Southwest Mesa, Mesa, AZ · Millcreek, Salt Lake City, UT · Mira Mesa, San Diego, CA · Richmond Hill, Queens, NY · West Ridge, 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 West Central. 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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