Mesa, Arizona Population 2023

523,824

Mesa is a city located in Maricopa County Arizona. With a 2023 population of 523,824, it is the 3rd largest city in Arizona and the 35th largest city in the United States.Mesa is currently growing at a rate of 1.26% annually and its population has increased by 3.88% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 504,258 in 2020. Spanning over 139 miles, Mesa has a population density of 3,794 people per square mile.

The average household income in Mesa is $77,738 with a poverty rate of 16.52%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Mesa is 36.2 years, 34.5 years for males, and 38.1 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.

Mesa Population and Economy Statistics

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 Population Growth

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.

Mesa Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Mesa was:

  • White: 78.26%
  • Two or more races: 6.27%
  • Other race: 6.12%
  • Black or African American: 4.38%
  • Native American: 2.51%
  • Asian: 2.08%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.38%
The current population of Mesa, Arizona is 523,824 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 504,258.

Mesa, Arizona Population 2023

Mesa Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

White

Two or more races

Other race

Black or African American

Native American

Asian

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Mesa Population by Race

Mesa Population Pyramid 2023

Mesa Median Age

36.2

Total

34.5

Male

38.1

Female

Mesa Adults

There are 387,477 adults, (84,706 of whom are seniors) in Mesa.

Mesa Age Dependency

68.1

Age Dependency Ratio

28

Old Age Dependency Ratio

40.1

Child Dependency Ratio

Mesa Sex Ratio

Female257,62050.62%
Male251,29849.38%

Mesa Population by Age

Mesa Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.28

Average Family Size

2.71

Average Household Size

62.4%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Mesa Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Mesa Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Mesa Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 83.46%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 38.04%.

Mesa Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$38,754

Average Earnings

$42,736

Average Male

$33,987

Average Female

Mesa Earnings by Educational Attainment

Mesa Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Mesa Language

78.92% of Mesa residents speak only English, while 21.08% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 17.36% of the population.

Mesa Language

Mesa Poverty by Race

rate

16.52%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.54%

Male Poverty Rate

14.06%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Mesa

The race most likely to be in poverty in Mesa is Islander, with 31.77% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Mesa is Asian, with 10.03% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.3%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.11%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.79%.

Mesa Poverty

Mesa Poverty Rate by Education

Mesa Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Mesa Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Mesa Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

47.5%

Overall Marriage Rate

49.0%

Male Marriage Rate

46.0%

Female Marriage Rate

Mesa Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Mesa Marriage

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.

Mesa Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Mesa Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

32,396

Number of Veterans

29,500

Male Veterans

2,896

Female Veterans

Mesa Veterans by War

Mesa Veterans by Age

count

Mesa Veterans by Race

Mesa Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.15%

Veteran Poverty Rate

28.71%

Veteran Disability Rate

Mesa Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

64.6%

Labor Force Participation

61.2%

Employment Rate

5.1%

Unemployment Rate

Mesa Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Mesa Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Mesa Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

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.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

39.81%

Born in Mesa

88.87%

Native Born

12.05%

Foreign Born

7.87%

Non Citizen

4.18%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

88.87% of Mesa residents were born in the United States, with 39.81% having been born in Arizona. 7.87% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Mesa Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Mesa Population by Year