Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 46/100
D
Median home value$408,000
Phoenix $440,900
Median rent$1,620/mo
Phoenix $1,702/mo
Cost-burdened households33%
Phoenix 32%
Mesa
Maricopa County511,764 residents3 school districts
63
C+
Suburbgrade score
8th of 31 Phoenix suburbs. Strong on amenities and cost of living, held back by housing & affordability.
63
Phoenix median 54
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Mesa yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 63 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Mesa is like to live in, by category
Bars show Mesa against Phoenix. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 59/100
C
Within-state proficiency64th pct
Phoenix median 63rd pct
Student–teacher ratio17.9
Phoenix median 18.0
Graduation rate85%
Phoenix median 91%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 74/100
B
Housing cost index96
Phoenix 100
Eff. tax rate0.45%
Phoenix 0.45%
Local sales tax8.52%
Phoenix median 8.52%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 67/100
C+
Mean commute24.7 min
Phoenix 26.4 min
Under 30 minutes66%
Phoenix 61%
Transit stops / sq mi5.9
Phoenix median 0.0 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 89/100
A
Restaurants & cafés114
Phoenix median 6 · within 2 miles
Groceries10
Phoenix median 1 · within 2 miles
Parks104
Phoenix median 26 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 54/100
C−
Median household income$82,752
Phoenix $88,301
Unemployment4.2%
Phoenix 4.7%
Professional occupations41%
Phoenix 43%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Mesa yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Mesa on housing & affordability
Mesa's weakest grade is D. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Paradise Valley18 mi from MesaA+ 64 C+ Queen Creek13 mi from MesaB 65 C+ Fountain Hills14 mi from MesaB− 60 C Scottsdale21 mi from MesaC+ 65 C+ Gilbert6 mi from MesaC+ 72 B− Gold Canyon17 mi from MesaC 44 D Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Mesa
Is Mesa, AZ a good place to live?
Mesa scores 63 out of 100, 8th of 31 Phoenix suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Mesa expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B. The median home is $408,000, 7% below the Phoenix median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.45%. $1,620/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Mesa?
Schools grade C. The districts serving Mesa sit at the 64th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 85% graduation rate and a 17.9 student–teacher ratio. Mesa is served by Mesa Unified District (4235), Queen Creek Unified District (4245) and Gilbert Unified District (4239). Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Mesa?
The mean commute is 24.7 min, with 66% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 19% working from home. Transit density is 5.9 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Mesa?
Within two miles there are 10 groceries, 114 restaurants and cafés and 104 parks, which grades A on amenities.
Are the homes in Mesa old or new?
The median home in Mesa was built in 1989 — older than the Phoenix median of 1994. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 61% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.