1. Mesa’s Price Tag Will Keep A Smile On Your Face
On an index of 100,
Mesa’s cost of living is 93, which is 6.5 percent cheaper than the national average. That’s a significant savings to your bank account, giving you extra cash to use having fun around Mesa.
2. Mesa Is A Buyer’s Market
While cities across the country are struggling to bounce back from the housing market crisis, the homes in Mesa are yours for the taking. One of the biggest perks to the cost of living here are the affordable homes. With a median value of $162,000 compared to the national average of $181,000, you can get a lot more house for your money.
3. The Economy In Mesa Is Desert Tough
Another awesome Mesa statistic is the unemployment rate. At 4.9 percent, it falls well under the national average of 6 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The poverty level is also less than the
Arizona and national average in Mesa.
4. The City Streets Are Safer Than Most
Most cities boast a crime rating significantly higher than the national average, but Mesa only surpasses it by 4 percent, which is pretty remarkable. And when you break it down by neighborhoods, the crime rate drops even more. Northeast Mesa’s crime rate is 21 percent below the overall Mesa average, so do your research in location.
5. Mesa Is Where You Go To Get Tech Savvy
Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus is located in Mesa where over 11,000 students are learning and aspiring to become engineers, air traffic controllers, microelectricians, and more. Other local specialty institutions include Mesa Community College, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, and a local campus of Pima Medical Institute.
6. Families Love Mesa
Thanks to friendly people in close-knit communities, safe streets, good schools, affordable living, and job opportunities, Mesa is an incredibly family friendly city where you can feel good about raising your kids. The city surpasses the national average for completion of all education levels from eighth grade through master’s degrees.
7. Mesa Is Located Near Everything On Your Bucket List
Catching the breathtaking sights of the Grand Canyon is only a four hour drive away. Rolling the dice and bracing for a most epic hangover in Vegas is only six and crossing the border into Tijuana is a six hour drive. For a more local getaway, Scottsdale and Phoenix are two major cities that are just 30 minutes away.
8. Head Downtown To Be In The Center Of Everything
Independent coffee shops. Quaint bistros and upscale restaurants. Taverns and lounges. Comic book and book stores. Museums. Bakeries. Eclectic boutiques. Festivals. Farmers markets… If you can’t find it in Downtown Mesa, it probably doesn’t exist.
9. Mexican Food Is The Heart Of The Mesa Food Scene
It should come as no surprise that the culinary scene of a Southwest town so close to Mexico revolves around amazing Mexican. The surprise comes when you visit Backyard Taco or Joyride Taco House in Mesa and discover first hand just how good it is.
10. This Isn’t Scottsdale, But Mesa’s Nightlife Is Still Alive
While you won’t find the kind of nightlife like you will in
Scottsdale or
Los Angeles, if you can’t find something to keep you entertained in Mesa, you must not be looking. The nightlife can largely revolve around the bars and restaurants but you’ll also find events like Motorcycles on Main, a mini Sturgis-like event that rolls down Main Street every first Friday of fall, winter, and spring.
11. You Won’t Dry Out In The Mesa Desert
You might live in the desert but water is never far away. With three lakes and two rivers within 30 minutes of the city, you can always take a ride in a boat, raft, or kayak, go water skiing, wake boarding, jet skiing or SUPing, providing a fun, athletic way to beat the Arizona heat.
12. Speaking Of The Arizona Heat...
Spoiler alert: Mesa is hot. Summers are the off-season due to the fact that your chances for spontaneous combustion increase by about four million percent. But fall through spring are completely enjoyable with highs averaging in the 80s and lows rarely dipping below freezing. And with 301 summer days a year, that Seasonal Affective Disorder problem is a thing you only hear about.
13. Mesa Is An Outdoor Oasis
When you live in Mesa, rock climbing is part of your regular hobbies, along with hiking, biking, and basically anything that has to do with the great outdoors.
14. Mesa Shines Bright Like A Baseball Diamond
When you live in a warm climate like Mesa, you’ll find that you don’t look forward to spring the same way as the rest of the country who is waiting for winter to end does. But you will still be just as excited for the seasons to change because it means the start of Spring Training. The Cactus League sees over 200 MLB pre-season games in 30 Days.
15. You’ll Need To Keep Your Wheels
Mesa is much more of a car-dependent city than it would like to be. The area is spread out and biking isn’t a great option for commuting either. So, you’ll have to hang onto your car if you have any hopes of getting around the city and out of it. The good news is that the traffic never gets too bad, with the height at the obvious rush hour times, and an average commute time of 25 minutes which is on par with the national average.
16. Arachnophobia Can Cripple You In Mesa
Hang onto your babies—the spiders in Mesa could possibly carry them away. That might be a slight exaggeration but I wouldn’t test the theory if I were you.
17. The Arts Are Alive In Mesa
The Mesa Arts Center is an amazingly creative center where people of all ages can come to experience amazing and innovative performances and art in ways that you probably never before imagined. And the best part? It’s free.
18. Mesa Can Get A Little Wild
The Old West kind, of course. Just because it’s 2015 doesn’t mean that Mesa has completely lost its cowboy. At the Rockin’ R Ranch, visitors dine while enjoying unique entertainment including gunfight reenactments, wagon rides, gold panning, and western music.
19. Mesa’s Museums Make Learning Fun For Everyone
There’s a little something for everyone to enjoy throughout the museums of Mesa. You can learn about ancient Mexican cultures, Native American Indians, dinosaurs and more at the Arizona Museum of Natural History. The Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum is great for history buffs. And the i.d.e.a Museum is the perfect place for kids and families to explore creativity, arts, and innovation together.
20. Mesa Lets You Work On Your Swing Year-Round
There’s a reason that Arizona has become known as such a world-class destination for golfing. The year-round warm weather and lack of humidity makes it the perfect environment for working on your drive. And with over 40 courses in the area, you’ll have your pick of the golfing litter.
21. Shopping Until You Drop Can Literally Happen
Theoretically speaking, if you spent a day in late July shop-hopping around Mesa’s many popular shopping destinations, from Mesa Market Place Swap Meet to the outdoor Mesa Riverview and Village Square at Dana Park without hydrating? Then yes, you run the risk of actually dropping. Just try not to let all of the amazing shops and boutiques distract you from your water bottle and you’ll be just fine. Happy shopping.
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