Mesa, AZ
What Mesa is actually like
Mesa was founded on February 14, 1878, when a group of Mormon pioneers from Utah and Idaho — the second wave to colonize the Salt River Valley — staked out a one-square-mile townsite on the mesa above the river and moved into brush and adobe homes that fall. The settlers, calling themselves the Mesa Company, dug the Mesa Canal that October, reusing part of an abandoned Hohokam canal alignment. Streets were laid unusually wide and house lots ran 1.25 acres to encourage home gardens. The town grew to about 300 residents within four years and incorporated as Mesa City on July 15, 1883.
Mesa is Arizona's third-largest city and, per the 2020 census, the 37th-most populous in the U.S., with an estimated 513,656 residents in 2025 and one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the Valley. Its housing stock ranges from postwar bungalows near downtown to sprawling 1990s-2000s subdivisions on the east side and newer construction toward Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Mesa is best known today as the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park, for Mesa Community College and ASU's Polytechnic campus, and for a fast-growing advanced manufacturing and aerospace sector. Valley Metro light rail runs along Main Street through the heart of the city.
Home values in Mesa
Zillow Home Value Index put the typical home value in Mesa at $433,754 as of July 2026, down 1.2% year-over-year.
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Explore Specialty Resources →Getting around
Valley Metro Rail's light rail line runs along Main Street through central Mesa, with the Gilbert Road Extension (opened August 2019) adding downtown-area stations and pushing the eastern terminus to Gilbert Road/Main Street — making Mesa one of only two East Valley cities (with Tempe) on the light rail network.
Neighborhood FAQ
Does Mesa have light rail?
Yes — Valley Metro Rail runs along Main Street through central Mesa, extended to Gilbert Road in 2019.
How big is Mesa?
Mesa is Arizona's third-largest city, with an estimated 513,656 residents in 2025 (504,258 at the 2020 census).
What is Mesa known for today?
Sloan Park, the Chicago Cubs' spring training home; Mesa Community College and ASU's Polytechnic campus; and a growing aerospace/advanced-manufacturing sector.
How far is Mesa from downtown Phoenix?
About 16 miles, roughly a 20-25 minute drive via US-60.
Nearby alternatives*
Tempe
About 7 miles east via Main Street or US-60, typically 12-15 minutes. Zillow puts Tempe's typical home value at $467,863, above Mesa's $433,754. Tempe is also on the Valley Metro Rail line.
Gilbert
About 8 miles south via Gilbert Road, typically 15-18 minutes. Zillow puts Gilbert's typical home value at $570,915, well above Mesa's $433,754. Gilbert doesn't have direct light rail access, relying on Valley Metro buses instead.
Apache Junction
About 10 miles east via US-60, typically 15-18 minutes. Zillow puts Apache Junction's typical home value at $374,285, below Mesa's $433,754. Apache Junction is more car-dependent, with little to no fixed-route transit.
*We're not ranking these — every neighborhood has real trade-offs, and which ones matter is up to you.