Henderson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Mesquite
Henderson
Opportunity
58 · Top 47%
vs64 · Top 33%
Growth
76 · Top 9%
vs63 · Top 28%
Climate
48 · Bottom 1%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Physical resilience
59 · Top 50%
vs59 · Top 50%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 40%
vs61 · Bottom 22%
Schools
27 · Bottom 19%
vs76 · Top 18%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs58 · Bottom 44%
Measured values
| Metric | Mesquite | Henderson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,059 | 332,141 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,227 | $90,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,380 | $50,228 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 694/sq mi | 2,745/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $388,600 | $484,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,181 | $1,824 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 81.4% | 66.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.8% | 0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.7% | 37.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.6% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 358 | 2,106 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 16.2 | 6.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.1% | -48.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 106°F | 105°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 30°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 5.9" | 4.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 37 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.1 min | 25.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 63.4 | 42.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.78 | 21.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 21.5% | 38.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.9% | 56.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 100.0% | 87.1% | 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
Mesquite
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Henderson
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Mesquite, NV · Henderson, NV · How this is calculated: methodology