Mesquite, Nevada is in the upper northeastern corner of Clark County on the Nevada/Arizona border. Mesquite is about 80 miles on Interstate 15, northeast of the city of Las Vegas. Families love this area. It is a retirement paradise, especially for those who play golf. The median listing price for a home in Mesquite NV is a good deal. About five years ago, in June 2011, the median listing price for homes in Mesquite was $289,900 compared to only $159,900 in December 2015.
It is a great time to buy real estate in Mesquite NV.
The U.S. Census of 2010 reported that Mesquite had 15,276 residents, which was a mix of 80.30% white, 24.75% Hispanic (of all race types), 1.27% Asian, 0.98% Native American, 0.65% African American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 14.56% of other races, and 2.17% of a mixed race.
Because of the many retirees on lower incomes, the median income per capita of $24,287 in Mesquite is 10.1% less than average in Nevada and 13.4% lower than the national average.
The retirement community in Mesquite is growing quickly. Adults over 45-years old currently represent 43.9% of the population and 16.6% of the population is over 65-years old. During the next twenty years, the expectation is that more than half the residents of Mesquite will be over 65-years old. The Mesquite city government operates a senior center that provides many services for senior citizens.
Retirees from California and other states with high state income tax rates are buying their retirement homes in Mesquite. The housing prices in Mesquite are substantially less than California where the median listing price of a home in San Francisco is $1 million.
California’s current state income tax rate starts at 1% and goes up to 13.3% for those with taxable income of $1 million or more. The state of Nevada has no personal income tax. Saving money on taxes and having one less annoying form to fill out each year is very attractive to Californians that move to Mesquite, Nevada.
The quality of life in Mesquite is excellent. The city has plenty of things to do for both tourists and locals. The people who live there are friendly. The Mesquite Chamber of Commerce is the local authority for business issues and promotes the city to encourage businesses to operate in Mesquite.
The coldest average temperature of 39.2°F occurs during the month of December. The lowest temperature is around 12°F, which happens in January. The hottest month of the year is July, when the average temperature is around 90°F. Record heat in July tops out at 115°F. For most of the year, the temperature range is a pleasant 40°F to 80°F.
It rarely snows in Mesquite. When it does, the snow melts quickly. March is usually the month with the most rainfall. Historically, there was just over one-inch of rain in March each year. Recent drought conditions lowered the average annual rainfall significantly from about 9 inches (reported by U.S. Climate Data) during 2010 to around 5.5 inches in 2015 (reported by WeatherDB). Less rain means more sunshine. Now there are more than 300 days per year in Mesquite with sunshine.
There air pollution index in Mesquite shows an excellent air quality rating that is 93.5% lower than other parts of Nevada and 94.7% lower than other cities in America. There are no days in Mesquite with poor air quality and no days that affect those with sensitivity to air pollution. For 45 days of the year, the air has moderate quality and for an amazing 320 days of the year, the air has a good quality.
This is one of the reasons that retirees love the area so much. Anyone with asthma, bronchial troubles, breathing problems, allergies, or chemical sensitivities usually finds that breathing the clean Mesquite air is beneficial.
The winds range from no wind to a maximum gust of 28 MPH in June, with the monthly average wind speed at less than 7 MPH all year long.
Mesquite is a safer area. Areavibes reports that the crime rate in Mesquite is about half of the rate of crimes in other parts of Nevada or the Untied States
There are three public schools in Mesquite, all located within 1-1/2 miles from each other, which is convenient for dropping off kids of different ages at the different schools. Mesquite schools are, the Virgin Valley Elementary School (PK to 5th grade), the Charles Arthur Hughes Middle School (6th to 8th grade), and the Virgin Valley High School (9th to 12th grade). The student-to-teacher ratio is sixteen to one, which is the same ratio maintained in other parts of the United States.
A large number of Mesquite residents completed high school (80.3%). Over half (50.2%) attended some college, 23.4% have an Associate degree and 16.5% graduated college with a B.A. degree. Those with advanced degrees represent 7.8% of Mesquite residents.
The cost of living in Mesquite is 2.3% lower than the national average and 9.1% less than the Nevada average..
The hotel/casino/resorts and the tourist support services are the biggest employers in Mesquite, employing about 60% of the workers. Jobs in wholesale/retail, healthcare/education, and construction employ about 30% of the workers. The remaining 10% of the jobs are in manufacturing, financial services, public administration and transportation.
Unemployment in Mesquite is currently 7.1%, which is lower than the Nevada average of 7.9% and higher than the national average of 6.0%.
Local commute times average only fifteen to twenty minutes during rush hour.
Mesquite is best known for its beautiful desert setting in the Virgin River Valley. The Virgin River that passes by the town supported the irrigation of agriculture planted in the area by the first settlers during the late 1800s. The first casino was the Peppermill, built during the 1970s. In contemporary times, the major hotel/casino/resorts in Mesquite offer marvelous entertainment, gambling action, and delicious food. There are many championship golf courses in Mesquite.
Mesquite continues to attract families who want a nice, smaller town to live in and retirees on a fixed income for the modestly priced housing, the low cost of living, the enjoyable lifestyle, and the benefit of having no state income tax.
