Mesa is a city located in Maricopa County Arizona. Mesa has a 2024 population of 513,567. Mesa is currently growing at a rate of 0.38% annually and its population has increased by 1.52% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 505,890 in 2020.
The average household income in Mesa is $95,399 with a poverty rate of 11.18%. The median age in Mesa is 36.8 years: 35.4 years for males, and 38.3 years for females.
Mesa is a suburb located outside of Phoenix and is in Maricopa County. Mesa is best known for its educational institutions, including Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus.
Banner Health System is the largest employer in the city, providing almost 10,000 jobs. Other top employers include Mesa Public Schools, Boeing, City of Mesa and Walmart, which each provide thousands of jobs to Mesa residents.
Mesa has seen an increase in population in every census taken since the early 1900s. The most substantial increase was recorded between the poll taken in 1970 and 1980, reflecting a 141.7% increase. While recent numbers haven’t been quite that high, the city most recently has seen 10.4% growth since the last census taken in 2010, indicating that this city still has more growth in its future.
Mesa was first inhabited by the Hohokam people thousands of years ago. During its early history, the people built a canal system that was one of the most sophisticated of its time. By the year 1450, hundreds of miles of canals were built, and many of them are still used in modern times.
The US Army came to the area in the late 19th century. At that time, it was opened for settlement. Daniel Webster Jones came from Utah to Arizona to found a Mormon settlement and arrived along the north edge of the city. This settlement was known as Lehi in 1883. The First Mesa Company came to the area to develop canals, followed by the Second Mesa Company who settled west of the First Mesa Company. It was during 1878 that Mesa City was designated as a town. Shortly after that, the first school was built and in 1883, the city was incorporated.
During the 1800s, the Mesa Canal was widened to construct a power plant. The city later purchased the plant and used funds to pave roads and build new buildings, including a hospital and library. During the 1940s, the city saw an increase in tourism, which led to population growth. Until the 1960s, agriculture was a significant contributor to the economy, until the city became more industrialized.
Today, Mesa is known for its schools, including Arizona State University, A.T. Still University’s Osteopathic Medical School and the CAE Global Academy Phoenix.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Mesa was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 363,151 | 72.14% |
Two or more races | 59,150 | 11.75% |
Other race | 34,435 | 6.84% |
Black or African American | 23,375 | 4.64% |
Asian | 11,803 | 2.34% |
Native American | 10,485 | 2.08% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 991 | 0.2% |
White
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 193,316 | 2.58 | 63.2 | 36.8 |
Married | 90,873 | 3.21 | 78.1 | 21.9 |
Non Family | 66,774 | 1.32 | 52.2 | 47.8 |
Female | 24,628 | 3.31 | 42.4 | 57.6 |
Male | 11,041 | 3.31 | 52.8 | 47.2 |
3.12
Average Family Size
2.58
Average Household Size
63.2%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 18,238 | 5.36% |
Associates Degree | 32,633 | 9.59% |
Bachelors Degree | 68,365 | 20.08% |
Graduate Degree | 33,759 | 9.92% |
High School Graduate | 82,670 | 24.28% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 13,355 | 3.92% |
Some College | 91,399 | 26.85% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 227,732 | 217,813 | 76,968 |
Hispanic | 74,059 | 54,673 | 11,862 |
2+ Races | 30,414 | 25,365 | 6,840 |
Other Race | 20,677 | 14,206 | 2,755 |
Black | 14,935 | 14,183 | 4,278 |
Asian | 8,783 | 8,166 | 4,413 |
Native American | 6,134 | 5,272 | 1,267 |
Islander | 523 | 464 | 208 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.64%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 50.24%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $60,468 | $71,647 | $50,839 |
Graduate Degree | $75,631 | $88,764 | $65,841 |
High School Graduate | $37,853 | $41,868 | $33,536 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $30,215 | $34,220 | $23,981 |
Overall | $46,109 | $51,261 | $40,823 |
Some College | $44,003 | $48,619 | $39,085 |
$46,109
Average Earnings
$51,261
Average Male
$40,823
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
79.62% of Mesa residents speak only English, while 20.38% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 16.88% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 136,276 | 24,763 | 18.17% |
White | 300,826 | 23,302 | 7.75% |
Multiple | 58,583 | 6,489 | 11.08% |
Other | 34,233 | 5,967 | 17.43% |
Black | 23,071 | 3,897 | 16.89% |
Native | 10,161 | 1,647 | 16.21% |
Asian | 11,752 | 1,018 | 8.66% |
Islander | 991 | 134 | 13.52% |
11.18%
Overall Poverty Rate
10.39%
Male Poverty Rate
11.96%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Mesa is Hispanic, with 18.17% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Mesa is White, with 7.75% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.3%. Among those working part-time, it was 14.29%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.51%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 23.51% |
High School | 11% |
Some College | 8.04% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.27% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Male Unemployed | 25.43% |
Female Unemployed | 22.14% |
Female Employed | 5.79% |
Male Employed | 5.2% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $87,185 | $108,556 |
Households | $73,766 | $95,399 |
Married Families | $101,382 | $123,886 |
Non Families | $48,605 | $63,639 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
48.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
49.1%
Male Marriage Rate
47.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
30,973
Number of Veterans
27,828
Male Veterans
3,145
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 11,109 |
First Gulf War | 6,887 |
Second Gulf War | 6,783 |
Korea | 1,884 |
World War II | 423 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 7,855 |
75+ | 7,586 |
35 to 54 | 7,114 |
55 to 64 | 5,426 |
18 to 34 | 2,992 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 25,970 | 8.98% |
Hispanic | 3,313 | 3.6% |
Black | 1,745 | 10.21% |
2+ Races | 1,665 | 4.36% |
Other Race | 756 | 3.02% |
Native American | 589 | 7.88% |
Asian | 191 | 1.95% |
Islander | 57 | 8.33% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
5.59%
Veteran Poverty Rate
26.89%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
65.4%
Labor Force Participation
62.2%
Employment Rate
4.7%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
39.74%
Born in Mesa
88.42%
Native Born
11.58%
Foreign Born
7.17%
Non Citizen
4.41%
Naturalized
88.42% of Mesa residents were born in the United States, with 39.74% having been born in Arizona. 7.17% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 523,163 | 1,919 | 0.37% |
2028 | 521,244 | 1,919 | 0.37% |
2027 | 519,325 | 1,920 | 0.37% |
2026 | 517,405 | 1,919 | 0.37% |
2025 | 515,486 | 1,919 | 0.37% |
2024 | 513,567 | 1,919 | 0.38% |
2023 | 511,648 | -616 | -0.12% |
2022 | 512,264 | 2,977 | 0.58% |
2021 | 509,287 | 3,397 | 0.67% |
2020 | 505,890 | -12,607 | -2.43% |
2019 | 518,497 | 10,532 | 2.07% |
2018 | 507,965 | 8,008 | 1.6% |
2017 | 499,957 | 9,340 | 1.9% |
2016 | 490,617 | 8,896 | 1.85% |
2015 | 481,721 | 8,689 | 1.84% |
2014 | 473,032 | 8,371 | 1.8% |
2013 | 464,661 | 7,850 | 1.72% |
2012 | 456,811 | 9,286 | 2.07% |
2011 | 447,525 | 6,692 | 1.52% |
2010 | 440,833 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 396,375 | 108,284 | 37.59% |
1990 | 288,091 | 135,687 | 89.03% |
1980 | 152,404 | 89,355 | 141.72% |
1970 | 63,049 | 29,277 | 86.69% |
1960 | 33,772 | 16,982 | 101.14% |
1950 | 16,790 | 9,566 | 132.42% |
1940 | 7,224 | 3,513 | 94.66% |
1930 | 3,711 | 675 | 22.23% |
1920 | 3,036 | 2,836 | 1418% |
1900 | 200 | -522,963 | -99.96% |