CensusEasy
CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Mesa

Arizona · 288,091 residents · 141 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Phoenix metro area
Compare
The short version

With 288,091 people, Mesa is a city in Arizona. There are 108,284 fewer people here than in 2000. Poverty is uncommon here, at 9.5% of residents. Median home value sits at $86,200. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median household income is $30,273, close to the national figure.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 30.4
US median: 33.0
Average education
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
288,091
−27%vs 2000
vs 396,375 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
30.4
−5%vs 2000
vs 32.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
141 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
266K333K400K467K534K19902000201020202024Mesa
2024512K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.7%(24,974)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 98.4%(24,064)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.5%(21,572)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.9%(19,749)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248%(23,073)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3419%(54,798)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.1%(40,623)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.6%(24,706)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 646.6%(19,029)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.3%(20,904)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844%(11,490)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.1%(3,109)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$30,273
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $42,817 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$13,506
−31%vs 2000
vs $19,601 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
9.5%
+0.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 8.9% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$86,200
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $112,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$470
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $669 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
60.9%
−5.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 66.4% in 2000
39.1% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic73.2%(290,180)
Black2.4%(9,377)
Hispanic / Latino19.7%(78,281)
Asian1.5%(5,755)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic90.4%(260,392)
Black1.8%(5,255)
Hispanic / Latino10.6%(30,549)
Asian1.4%(3,927)
Other6.4%(18,517)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican22%(112,401)
Central American1.1%(5,493)
Puerto Rican0.9%(4,771)
South American0.8%(3,947)
Guatemalan0.6%(2,930)
Spaniard0.5%(2,711)
Cuban0.3%(1,474)
Salvadoran0.3%(1,363)
Peruvian0.2%(967)
Colombian0.2%(897)
Dominican0.2%(813)
Argentine0.1%(544)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(471)
Ecuadorian0.1%(363)
Chilean0.1%(352)
Costa Rican0.1%(340)
Panamanian0.1%(321)
Honduran0.1%(284)
Nicaraguan0%(255)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Filipino0.6%(2,891)
Vietnamese0.5%(2,358)
Chinese0.4%(2,178)
Asian Indian0.3%(1,318)
Korean0.2%(1,151)
Japanese0.2%(1,101)
Pakistani0.1%(468)
Thai0.1%(327)
Taiwanese0%(217)
Cambodian0%(168)
Hmong0%(34)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(33)
Laotian0%(29)
Okinawan0%(23)
Malaysian0%(13)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,334)
Samoan0.1%(440)
Tongan0.1%(428)
Chuukese0%(111)
Chamorro0%(72)
Guamanian0%(40)
Ancestry
German13.9%(71,362)
English12.9%(65,784)
Irish9.1%(46,455)
American6%(30,658)
Italian4%(20,699)
Polish2.1%(10,717)
Norwegian2.1%(10,692)
Scottish1.9%(9,736)
French1.8%(9,187)
Swedish1.4%(7,230)
Dutch1%(5,119)
Danish0.7%(3,703)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.7%(3,591)
Welsh0.7%(3,540)
British0.5%(2,662)
Arab0.5%(2,464)
Canadian0.5%(2,384)
French Canadian0.4%(2,102)
Hungarian0.3%(1,657)
Russian0.3%(1,476)
Czech0.3%(1,468)
Swiss0.3%(1,437)
Portuguese0.2%(1,271)
Greek0.2%(1,079)
Finnish0.2%(1,074)
West Indian0.2%(1,053)
Lebanese0.2%(909)
Austrian0.2%(874)
Croatian0.2%(807)
Ukrainian0.1%(753)
Slovak0.1%(658)
Jamaican0.1%(646)
Romanian0.1%(610)
Lithuanian0.1%(585)
Belgian0.1%(532)
Iraqi0.1%(465)
Serbian0.1%(433)
Nigerian0.1%(399)
Brazilian0.1%(345)
Slovene0%(242)
Turkish0%(216)
Egyptian0%(211)
Armenian0%(211)
Iranian0%(181)
Latvian0%(91)
Haitian0%(82)
Moroccan0%(71)
Jordanian0%(61)
Ghanaian0%(59)
Syrian0%(55)
Kenyan0%(55)
Ethiopian0%(50)
Bulgarian0%(30)
Guyanese0%(24)
Barbadian0%(22)
Israeli0%(21)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.0%
−0.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.6% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
84.8%
+0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 84.7% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
6.3%
−0.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 6.7% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.0 min
+25%vs 2000
vs 17.6 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married36.9%(76,216)
Married50.1%(103,465)
Widowed2.6%(5,316)
Divorced10.4%(21,538)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(62,341)
Married48.4%(101,222)
Widowed8.2%(17,061)
Divorced13.7%(28,683)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
10.6%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 17.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
54.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 52.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 13.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 19.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.3%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 64.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.8%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 35.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.4%(7,324)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.7%(6,836)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.8%(10,342)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.8%(1,386)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(190)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 28,865 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Mesa

Raleigh
Pop 506,306
Colorado Springs
Pop 494,743
Atlanta
Pop 529,110
Sacramento
Pop 536,449
Places similar to Mesa
Head to head

Compare Mesa to nearby cities

MESA VS
Gilbert
Income$122,551+305%
Home value$575,100+567%
Population287,285−44%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MESA VS
Apache Junction
Income$60,975+101%
Home value$211,500+145%
Population45,672−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MESA VS
Chandler
Income$108,095+257%
Home value$507,800+489%
Population278,748−46%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MESA VS
Tempe
Income$79,663+163%
Home value$455,400+428%
Population190,571−63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Mesa, Arizona?

Mesa, Arizona has about 288,091 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Mesa, Arizona?

The typical household in Mesa, Arizona earns about $30,273 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Mesa, Arizona expensive?

In Mesa, Arizona, the median home is worth about $86,200, and the typical rent is about $470 a month.

How educated are people in Mesa, Arizona?

About 21.0% of adults age 25 and over in Mesa, Arizona hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Mesa, Arizona?

About 9.5% of people in Mesa, Arizona live below the federal poverty line.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
Arizona

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →