Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Mesa

You think about moving to Mesa but want to get additional information about the city, its lifestyle, income prospects, cultural topics and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you everything you need to know about living in Mesa in the following.

Living in Mesa – Overview

ClimateSummers in Mesa are hot and dry while winters are cool but still relatively mild.
HousingDemand for housing, rents and property prices are still lower than in many other big cities.
IncomeMedian household income in Mesa is close to national average.
CrimeCrime rates in Mesa are pretty low compared to many other major cities in the US.
EducationWhile Mesa has solid schools, it is hard to find really good education in this region.
Job MarketUnemployment rate in Mesa is pretty low and many people find decent jobs relatively soon.
CultureMesa is a multicultural place where you can find people from all over the world.
Leisure ActivitiesWhile you can go to the movies, hang out for a drink and do many other things you are used to from other cities, you will not find many nature activities to participate in in Mesa.
LandscapeMesa is surrounded by desert-like environment.
InfrastructureDecent supply of material goods and good medical infrastructure in Mesa.
Level of ToleranceMesa is among the most tolerant cities in Arizona.
NightlifeNightlife in Mesa is not great compared to other major cities.
Total Population516,102 inhabitants.
advantages and disadvantages of living in kansas city

Advantages of Living in Mesa

  1. Living costs in Mesa are rather low
  2. Average person can still afford to buy a decent home
  3. Rents are still affordable for the general public
  4. Mesa can be a great commuter city
  5. Decent medical infrastructure in Mesa
  6. Traffic is not a big problem in Mesa yet
  7. Mesa is a bike-friendly city
  8. Great summers and relatively mild winters in Mesa
  9. Low unemployment rate in Mesa
  10. You can benefit from the convenience of living in a big city
  11. Mesa is a tolerant city
  12. People in Mesa are friendly and outgoing
  13. Mesa has decent air quality
  14. Mesa is not a hectic city
  15. Financial pressure for people living in Mesa is relatively low
  16. Mesa is a pretty safe city
  17. Population in Mesa is growing
  18. Decent future outlook for Mesa

Living costs in Mesa are rather low

One upside to moving to Mesa is that living costs are pretty low compared to other major cities.

While people living in Los Angeles often have to spend lots of money on drinks and many other things of daily life, Mesa is much cheaper in this regard and you can therefore afford more nice things with the same income than in other more expensive regions.

Average person can still afford to buy a decent home

Not only living costs in Mesa are fairly low, but also property prices are still affordable for the general public and the average person can still buy a decent home and live the American dream in Mesa.

Rents are still affordable for the general public

Since property prices are still low, also rents are pretty low in the Mesa region and this means that people don’t have to spend a high fraction of their disposable income on housing but will have enough money left to spend on other important things of daily life or to save and invest for retirement.

Mesa can be a great commuter city

Moving to Mesa can also make quite a lot of sense if you work in Phoenix but don’t want to live in such a big city but rather enjoy living in a smaller place instead.

Decent medical infrastructure in Mesa

Another advantage of moving to Mesa is that you will find many good doctors and hospitals in this region and in case of medical emergency, you can be sure to get decent medical treatment so that you can recover as quickly as possible.

Traffic is not a big problem in Mesa yet

Since Mesa is not the most crowded city, traffic is still not a big problem and while people living in San Diego or other major cities often get stuck in traffic jams, you can get around in a much more efficient manner and don’t have to waste lots of time in this regard.

Mesa is a bike-friendly city

Mesa is also considered a bike-friendly city and if you live close enough to the city center where distances are rather short, you may be able to get around by bike in an efficient manner and may not have to rely on your car as much as in other big cities where conditions for cyclists are often much worse.

Great summers and relatively mild winters in Mesa

Another benefit of moving to Mesa is that you can also enjoy really nice summers with lots of sun while winters are still not as cold as in many other regions and this gives you the opportunity to spend lots of time outdoors and to really enjoy your life.

Low unemployment rate in Mesa

Mesa is also known for its low unemployment rate and this can be great for people moving to Mesa since you will most likely find a decent job relatively soon and don’t have to worry about getting laid off much, at least if you have decent education and can also provide enough value to the corporate world.

You can benefit from the convenience of living in a big city

Another upside to living in Mesa is that you can really enjoy the comfort and the convenience that come along with living in a big city since you will just find most things for daily life within walking distance and overall supply of material goods will be much better than in smaller cities.

Mesa is a tolerant city

You should also know that Mesa is a pretty tolerant city and you will be welcome no matter where you come from as long as you respect other people and different ways of life and are also a helpful and supportive character in general.

People in Mesa are friendly and outgoing

It is also pretty easy to socialize and to find new friends in Mesa since people are also outgoing and friendly and always open to meeting new people and to have a chat with you so that you don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated when moving to Mesa.

Mesa has decent air quality

Another advantage of living in Mesa is that the city has pretty decent air quality compared to other major regions and this not only improves your overall quality of life but will also lower your risk of suffering from serious pulmonary issues compared to other regions where air quality is much worse.

Mesa is not a hectic city

People in Mesa are also rather relaxed. In general, Mesa is not the most hectic city and compared to busier cities where people often have to work long hours and are more career-focused, it is easier to live a relaxed and laid-back life in Mesa.

Financial pressure for people living in Mesa is relatively low

Since housing and living costs are fairly low, people in Mesa also don’t have to make enormous amounts of money to afford a decent lifestyle and this means that overall financial pressure will be much lower compared to people living in Oakland or other more expensive regions.

Mesa is a pretty safe city

Unlike many other big cities, Mesa is also a pretty safe place to live and crime rates are fairly low. Hence, moving to Mesa can be great in case you have a family and want your kids grow up in a pretty safe region.

Population in Mesa is growing

Another indication that Mesa is a great place to live in is that population in Mesa has been growing significantly over the past decade and the region has become more popular by people all over the US in general.

Decent future outlook for Mesa

Since Mesa is one of the biggest cities in Arizona and population is growing, the city also has a pretty decent future outlook and will likely be a great place to live and work for many decades.

While there are many reasons for moving to Mesa, there are also some downsides to living in Mesa that I want to address in the following so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Mesa or rather want to move to a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Mesa

  1. Hard to find good education in Mesa
  2. Rather poor public transport in Mesa
  3. You may need a car to get around
  4. Desert-like environment may become boring
  5. Mesa is a hot place
  6. Water scarcity may become a serious problem in Mesa
  7. Income level in Mesa is pretty low
  8. Mesa is not located at the coast
  9. Not many great shopping opportunities in Mesa
  10. Mesa is not the most popular city
  11. Hard to meet many celebrities in Mesa
  12. Tap water in Mesa is not great
  13. Mesa doesn’t have a great art scene
  14. Not many leisure activities to choose from

Hard to find good education in Mesa

One problem with living in Mesa is that you will have a hard time finding really good education.

While education levels are solid, you will still struggle to find the same world-class education as people living in Boston and you may therefore not be able to provide the best education possible to your kids.

Rather poor public transport in Mesa

Compared to other big cities, public transport in Mesa is relatively poor and unless you live close to the city center, you may not be able to rely on public transport in an efficient manner to get from A to B on time.

You may need a car to get around

Since public transport in Mesa is rather poor, you may also need a car to get around and this will be bad for your finances and also for our environment in the long run.

Desert-like environment may become boring

Another downside to living in Mesa is that the city is surrounded by a desert-like environment and while people living in Chicago or many other places can go fishing and do many other things in nature, you may rather get bored with landscape and nature activities in Mesa in the long run.

Mesa is a hot place

You should also know that Mesa is a pretty hot place and while some people like the heat, others rather prefer cooler climatic conditions and if you belong to the second group of people, you will not get happy living in Mesa and may rather want to move to Washington D.C. or other cooler places instead.

Water scarcity may become a serious problem in Mesa

Since Mesa is a hot and dry place, water scarcity may become a serious problem and may even be exacerbated by climate change in the long run and in case the city runs out of drinking water, this would greatly lower overall quality of life and many people may leave the region.

Income level in Mesa is pretty low

Another disadvantage of living in Mesa is that the overall income level is not great and if your goal is to get rich as quickly as possible, you should rather move to San José or other places in Silicon Valley where you can make much more money from what you are doing as long as you have excellent education and are also able to provide lots of value to the corporate world.

Mesa is not located at the coast

You should also keep in mind that Mesa is not located at the coast and while people living in Long Beach or other regions can go surfing and do other water sports on a regular basis, you will miss out on many opportunities in Mesa in this regard.

Not many great shopping opportunities in Mesa

While you will find everything you need to live a convenient life, you will still not find many fancy shopping opportunities in Mesa and if you are a shopping queen, you may rather want to move to a more glamorous city with more fancy stores instead.

Mesa is not the most popular city

In general, Mesa is not the most popular and exciting city and if you are a person who needs adrenaline all day long and wants to have action 24/7, you may be better off moving to a bigger metropolitan area instead of moving to Mesa.

Hard to meet many celebrities in Mesa

Since Mesa is not the most popular city, it is also pretty hard to meet many celebrities or other influential people and it may therefore also be harder for you to build a strong network of people and your career progress may be slower compared to people living in regions where they can meet more important people who have the potential to boost their careers.

Tap water in Mesa is not great

Compared to many other regions, tap water quality in Mesa is not great and you may therefore rather want to rely on bottled water from the store and may have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

Mesa doesn’t have a great art scene

Another disadvantage of moving to Mesa is that the city doesn’t have a great art scene and you will also not find many museums or galleries.

Not many leisure activities to choose from

In general, the number of leisure activities you can choose from in Mesa is smaller compared to other major cities and you may therefore just get bored living in Mesa in the long run.

Top 10 Moving To Mesa Pros & Cons – Summary List

Living in Mesa ProsLiving in Mesa Cons
Mesa is a tolerant cityMesa is a pretty hot place
Living costs in Mesa are fairly lowIncome level in Mesa is not great
Property prices are still affordableMesa is not the most exciting city
Average person can rent a decent homeMesa doesn’t have lots of beautiful nature
Financial pressure in Mesa is rather lowWater scarcity may become a problem
Mesa has decent air qualityNot many great shopping opportunities in Mesa
Nice summers and mild wintersYou may get bored living in Mesa
Mesa is a bike-friendly cityMesa doesn’t have great tap water
Easy to socialize in MesaHard to build a strong network
Mesa is a pretty safe cityYou may miss the feeling of big city life in Mesa

Is Mesa A Good Place To Live?

Mesa can be a great place to live since property prices and living costs are fairly low while you still find everything you need to live a comfortable life. However, you should also know that Mesa may be adversely affected by climate change in the future and water scarcity may become a serious problem which may cause many people to leave the region and overall public infrastructure may get worse.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Mesa anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Kansas City

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Phoenix

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Albuquerque

Sources

https://www.mesaaz.gov/

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/mesacityarizona

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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