Fountain Hills and Mesa receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Fountain Hills
Mesa
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 15%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs42 · Bottom 35%
Climate
58 · Bottom 10%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 38%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 33%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
44 · Bottom 23%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Fountain Hills | Mesa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,789 | 511,764 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $112,654 | $82,752 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $69,654 | $41,453 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,173/sq mi | 3,609/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $622,900 | $408,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,890 | $1,620 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 84.4% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.9% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.4% | 32.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.2% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 81 | 1,478 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.1% | -35.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 107°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 8.7" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 26.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 61.5 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 140 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.41 | 17.32 | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Fountain Hills
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Mesa
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Fountain Hills
58
Your Score
53
Area Score
Mesa
58
Your Score
52
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Fountain Hills, AZ · Mesa, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology