Should I Move To
Mesa, Arizona is home to about 503,390 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — 9% above the national average. The median renter pays around $1,352 a month against a typical household income of $73,766. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 46 out of 100 (grade D), putting it at #664 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Mesa's composite cost-of-living index lands at 109 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $1,352/mo against $73,766 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 22% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $327,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is hot-summer — summer averages around 105°F, winter averages around 47°F. Precipitation totals about 7 inches a year. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Crime sits a notch better than the national norm — not crime-free, but a step above average. Air quality reads good (AQI 37).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Mesa doesn't obviously fit families. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (1/100).
Mesa doesn't obviously fit retirees. It earns 38/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (1/100).
Mesa doesn't obviously fit remote workers. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (1/100).
Mesa doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 39/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (1/100).
Mesa, Arizona pulls a 46/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #664 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Mesa's cost-of-living index is 109 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — 9% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,352/mo.
Hot-summer — summer averages around 105°F, winter averages around 47°F, with about 7 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 30/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Mesa has about 503,390 residents, 30% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 37.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Mesa head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Mesa stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Mesa with other Arizona cities scored on UrbRank.
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