Mesa, Arizona Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mesa, AZ Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Mesa | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 504,945 | 7,356,359 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3544.7 | 64.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.00% | 1.15% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.2 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 196,349 | 2,847,012 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mesa grew by 12.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 504,945 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mesa is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.2% of residents. That is about the same share as Arizona.
- Gen Z 13–28 112,087 22.2% on par
- Millennials 29–44 108,987 21.6% on par
- Gen X 45–60 91,802 18.2% -0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 86,216 17.1% -0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Arizona, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.9% of the people living in Mesa and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% Arizona 50.0%
- Men 50.1% Arizona 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mesa
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mesa has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Mesa | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,616 | $80,381 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.39% | 5.72% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mesa is about 2% higher than in Arizona.
Housing
| Metric | Mesa | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $308,232 | $367,851 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,616 | $1,543 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.5% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mesa is about 15.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,616 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mesa spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mesa | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.6 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.3 | 44.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,846 | $5,798 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.5% | 18.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 24,685 | 9,219 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,697 | 1,948 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Mesa is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Arizona.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Mesa has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Mesa | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 29.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.53 |
Health
Mesa has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mesa | Arizona Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 19.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.6% | 19.5% | 19.0% |
Mesa, AZ Compared With Nearby Cities
Mesa, AZ is the largest of the 6 cities compared here, 504,945 residents against a local median of 67,869. Where Mesa, AZ breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 39% below the local median of $506,222 at $308,232.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $81,616 against a local median of $111,023, 26% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 26% below the local median it puts Mesa, AZ at the weaker end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $677,049 on median home price, so Mesa, AZ sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mesa, AZ has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa, AZ | 504,945 | $81,616 #5/6 | $308,232 #5/6 | 22.6 min #2/6 |
| Gilbert, AZ | 272,475 | $122,991 | $567,335 | 23.0 min |
| Apache Junction, AZ | 48,284 | $66,019 | $55,554 | 26.9 min |
| Chandler, AZ | 269,220 | $109,499 | $476,562 | 21.6 min |
| Queen Creek, AZ | 67,869 | $138,816 | $732,602 | 30.8 min |
| Fountain Hills, AZ | 23,789 | $111,023 | $506,222 | 23.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mesa, Arizona.
How big is Mesa, Arizona by population?
About 504,945 people live in Mesa, Arizona, in 196,349 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 35.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Mesa, Arizona?
Averaged over its land area, Mesa, Arizona has 3,545 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 41 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Mesa, Arizona an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($308,232 against $81,616), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,616 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →