City comparison
Buckeye, AZ is about 50 miles (90 km) from Mesa, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Buckeye, AZ to Mesa, AZ takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Mesa has a population of 503,390, vs 95,042 in Buckeye — about 5.3× larger by population. By land area, Buckeye covers about 395 sq mi vs 140 sq mi for Mesa.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Buckeye | Mesa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,597/mo | $1,352/mo | 18.1% higher in Buckeye |
| Median home value | $341,700 | $327,700 | 4.3% higher in Buckeye |
| Median household income | $94,188 | $73,766 | 27.7% higher in Buckeye |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 96.2 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 104.0 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Buckeye, you'd need $99,324 in Mesa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mesa, AZ is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Buckeye, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Buckeye, you'd need about $79,459 in Mesa to keep the same standard of living.