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COUNTY

Mesa County

Colorado · 162,845 residents (2025 est.) · 3,329 sq mi
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The short version

Mesa County is home to 158,601 people in Colorado. That puts it in the top 8% of US counties for household income. 42,346 more people live here than in 2000. The foreign-born share is 4%. That trails the Colorado median by roughly 23%. Density works out to 48 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
32% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 83%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
158,601
+36%since 2000
from 116,255 in 2000
162,845 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
48 / sq mi
+15%since 2009
from 41 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
41.3
+8%since 2000
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
3,329 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
87K106K126K146K165K19902000201020202024Mesa County
2024159K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(7,918)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.8%(9,159)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.9%(9,321)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(10,519)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.7%(9,110)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.7%(20,064)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.1%(20,800)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.2%(17,757)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413%(20,541)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.7%(20,111)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.1%(9,652)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.3%(3,649)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$73,658
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,864 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$40,076
+114%since 2000
from $18,715 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
49.0%
+19.2 ptssince 2009
from 29.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 10.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.444
+1%since 2010
from 0.441 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Retail trade6.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Public administration2.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Manufacturing1.6%
US avg: 0.4%
Construction1.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$378,600
+83%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,182
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $527 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
72.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 72.7% in 2000
27.5% rent
Vacancy rate
5.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.34 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.46 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.1%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 41.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.1
+24%since 2009
from 4.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
46
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic87%(101,110)
Black0.4%(460)
Hispanic / Latino10%(11,651)
Asian0.5%(593)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.4%(124,320)
Black0.6%(927)
Hispanic / Latino15.5%(24,519)
Asian0.9%(1,390)
Other4.7%(7,445)
Diversity Score
45
+32%since 2009
from 34 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
22
−9%since 2020
from 24 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican9.7%(15,324)
Spaniard0.7%(1,036)
Puerto Rican0.4%(597)
Honduran0.1%(198)
Argentine0.1%(159)
Cuban0.1%(131)
Guatemalan0.1%(98)
Paraguayan0.1%(89)
Colombian0%(79)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Japanese0.2%(310)
Vietnamese0.2%(287)
Chinese0.2%(270)
Filipino0.1%(195)
Korean0.1%(99)
Asian Indian0.1%(93)
Thai0%(44)
Taiwanese0%(41)
Kazakh0%(4)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(28)
Chamorro0%(24)
Guamanian0%(12)
Tongan0%(10)
Ancestry
German21.5%(34,099)
English15.2%(24,108)
Irish12.5%(19,842)
Italian5.1%(8,161)
American3.8%(5,976)
Scottish3.2%(4,998)
French2.6%(4,121)
Dutch2.3%(3,627)
Norwegian2.1%(3,368)
Swedish2.1%(3,368)
Polish1.9%(3,089)
Danish1.5%(2,326)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish1.4%(2,299)
Welsh1.2%(1,964)
British0.6%(978)
Russian0.6%(894)
Portuguese0.5%(786)
Swiss0.4%(623)
Austrian0.4%(597)
Czech0.4%(558)
Greek0.3%(504)
Hungarian0.3%(458)
Finnish0.2%(332)
Canadian0.2%(329)
Romanian0.2%(326)
Croatian0.2%(266)
Ukrainian0.2%(256)
Lithuanian0.1%(223)
Slovene0.1%(164)
Nigerian0.1%(134)
West Indian0.1%(134)
Jamaican0.1%(134)
Slovak0.1%(123)
Belgian0.1%(116)
Latvian0.1%(105)
Arab0.1%(101)
Lebanese0%(66)
Bulgarian0%(53)
Brazilian0%(42)
Serbian0%(41)
Ghanaian0%(25)
Iranian0%(23)
Moroccan0%(13)
Egyptian0%(11)
Syrian0%(11)
Israeli0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.3%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 22.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.9%
+7.9 ptssince 2000
from 85.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
10.7%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.9 min
+60%since 2000
from 11.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 76.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.4%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.7%
+8.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2011
from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
60.9%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 64.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.8%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 72.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
38.3%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 31.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
Female
50.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
Foreign born
4.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
9.5%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.3%
+2.9 ptssince 2012
from 12.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.9%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 16.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.6%
+9.9 ptssince 2017
from 82.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.8%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 92.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
84.7%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 81.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2016
from 93.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2016
from 5.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.3%(21,694)
Married50.4%(32,849)
Widowed3.1%(1,997)
Divorced13.3%(8,684)
Women 15+
Never married25.3%(16,950)
Married50.3%(33,682)
Widowed9.1%(6,073)
Divorced15.3%(10,274)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
9.9%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 16.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 47.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 13.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
22.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 20.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
23.0%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 25.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
4.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 4.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 60.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.2%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 44.2% 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)23.4%(2,807)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.7%(2,365)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.5%(4,506)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.5%(662)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(76)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 12,019 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 County

Johnson County
Pop 160,044
Indian River County
Pop 172,799
Sumter County
Pop 157,772
Madera County
Pop 167,927
Places similar to Mesa County
Head to head

Compare Mesa County to nearby counties

MESA COUNTY VS
Delta County
Income$57,774−22%
Home value$343,200−9%
Population32,178−80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MESA COUNTY VS
Montrose County
Income$72,120−2%
Home value$388,400+3%
Population44,591−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MESA COUNTY VS
Garfield County
Income$91,131+24%
Home value$527,800+39%
Population63,474−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MESA COUNTY VS
Grand County
Income$67,106−9%
Home value$538,700+42%
Population9,790−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Mesa County, Colorado?

Mesa County, Colorado has about 158,601 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Mesa County, Colorado?

The typical household in Mesa County, Colorado earns about $73,658 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Mesa County, Colorado expensive?

In Mesa County, Colorado, the median home is worth about $378,600, and the typical rent is about $1,182 a month.

How educated are people in Mesa County, Colorado?

About 32.3% of adults age 25 and over in Mesa County, Colorado hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Mesa County, Colorado?

About 10.7% of people in Mesa County, Colorado live below the federal poverty line.

Has Mesa County, Colorado grown since 1990?

Yes, Mesa County, Colorado has grown since 1990. The population has added about 65,456 residents, a change of about 70 percent over that period.

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

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