Maricopa receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Maricopa
Mesa
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Growth
71 · Top 16%
vs42 · Bottom 35%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs59 · Bottom 12%
Physical resilience
30 · Bottom 24%
vs47 · Bottom 37%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 39%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Access
89 · Bottom 38%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Maricopa | Mesa | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,163 | 511,764 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $96,391 | $82,752 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,983 | $41,453 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,581/sq mi | 3,609/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $377,200 | $408,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,998 | $1,620 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.6% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.7% | -3.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% | 32.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 900 | 1,478 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.6% | -35.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 107°F | 107°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 7.2" | 7.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.6 min | 26.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.8 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 140 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.20 | 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
Maricopa
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, wildfire, inland flooding.
Mesa
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding.
Full profiles: Maricopa, AZ · Mesa, AZ · How this is calculated: methodology