City comparison
Goodyear, AZ is about 40 miles (60 km) from Mesa, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 49 min 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 Goodyear, AZ to Mesa, AZ takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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 97,542 in Goodyear — about 5.2× larger by population. By land area, Goodyear covers about 190 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 | Goodyear | Mesa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,711/mo | $1,352/mo | 26.6% higher in Goodyear |
| Median home value | $396,100 | $327,700 | 20.9% higher in Goodyear |
| Median household income | $97,307 | $73,766 | 31.9% higher in Goodyear |
| 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 Goodyear, you'd need $99,016 in Mesa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mesa, AZ is about 1% cheaper overall than Goodyear, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Goodyear than in Mesa. If you earn $80,000 in Goodyear, you'd need about $79,213 in Mesa to keep the same standard of living.