Sunny Mesa! Enjoy Mesa’s 325 Days of Sunshine Each Year! A wonderful climate feature is that Mesa has more annual days of sunshine than either San Diego or Miami Beach.

Overall cost of living in Greater Phoenix is below the national average. It is interesting to note that the metropolitan area cost of living tends to increase proportionally with population size. Given that fact, Greater Phoenix is one of the most affordable major metropolitan areas in the country.

Mesa, located in Maricopa County, is one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, with a population that grown by more than 37 percent between 1990 and 2000. The reasons for Mesa’s growth: the low cost of doing business, a reasonable tax structure, a skilled and well-educated workforce, a low crime rate, superior schools, affordable housing, and an excellent quality of life.

Mesa by the Numbers
Incorporated — 1883
Elevation — 1255 feet
Population — 460,462
Median Age — 33
Median household income — $49,938

Real Estate (4th quarter 2007)
Median home price (new) — $293,880
Median home price (resale) — $239,000
Total housing unit — 201,050
Sales tax rate — 8.05%
Total Civilian Labor Force (2007) — 254,142

Average Temperature Range
High 88 degrees, Low 56 degrees

Population
June 2008 — 462,823
Growth 1990-2008 — 58.2%

Total Civilian Labor Force
2008 — 256,341
Employed — 248,264
Unemployed — 8,077

Median Age
2008 — 33.11
Under 18 Years — 27.84%
18-24 years — 9.45%
25-44 years — 29.34%
45-64 years — 20.33%
65+ years — 13.04%

Population Race & Ethnicity
White — 75.71%
Black or African American — 3.26%
Indian and Alaskan — 2.07%
Asian — 2.00%
Native Hawaiian & other Pacific Islander — 0.29%
Some other race — 13.13%
Two or more races — 0.53%
Hispanic (any race) — 26.31%

Education
2008 (age 25+) — 276,844
High School Graduate — 85.28%
Some College — 59.78%
Bachelor’s Degree — 22.22%
Graduate/Professional — 6.84%

Median Household Income
2008 — $50,993
Sales Tax Rate — 8.05%

Sources: City of Mesa, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Claritas, Arizona Real Estate Center, U.S. Census Bureau

City Government

Mesa operates under a charter form of government, with citizens electing a mayor and six councilmembers to set policy for the city. Mesa’s councilmembers serve terms of four-years, with three members being elected every two years. The mayor is elected at-large every four years. The mayor and council are elected on a non-partisan basis. The vice mayor is selected by the City Council.

The Mesa City Council believes that its people, not leaders, are what makes a city great and actively works to encourage citizen participation in the decision-making process. Whether it is through neighborhood meetings, advisory boards and committees, telephone calls and letters, or electronic mail through the World Wide Web, the Mesa City Council sets policies based on the input and needs of its citizens.
• Mayor Scott Smith
• Councilmember Dave Richins - District 1
• Councilmember Alex Finter - District 2
• Councilmember Dennis Kavanaugh - District 3
• Vice Mayor Kyle Jones - District 4
• Councilmember Dina Higgins - District 5
• Councilmember Scott Somers - District 6

The City Manager, appointed by the Council, is the chief administrative officer carrying out the policies of the City Council. The City provides a full range of municipal services including:• police and fire protection
• parks and recreation
• libraries
• transportation
• neighborhood outreach
• the operation of electricity, gas, water and wastewater utilities
• solid waste (trash/recycling pick-up)
• aquatics
• airports
• golf courses
• community center

Tourism

During the past 100 years, Mesa has grown into a thriving metropolis providing a great lifestyle for its residents and a premier destination sought after by visitors. Today, Mesa is the third largest city in the state of Arizona (boasting a population greater than such well-known cities as Atlanta, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Miami) offering a variety of lifestyle and leisure pursuits that are in high demand by visitors. Surrounded by the Sonoran Desert–a playground for incredible outdoor recreation and one-of-a-kind attractions–Mesa’s fabulous weather, exquisite dining, award-winning golf courses, and ample shopping opportunities provide the makings for incredible discoveries in the Southwest.

The Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau (Mesa CVB) is responsible for marketing Mesa, Arizona, as a leading vacation, small meeting, and sports travel destination to regional and national target audiences, including travel agents, group tour operators, meeting planners, leisure visitors, and media. The Bureau offers complimentary services and assistance to help streamline the planning process for groups that schedule events and large meetings for visitors. The Bureau represents more than 60 properties in Mesa, many with substantial on-site meeting facilities. The Bureau can arrange site inspections and assist in planning group activities and off-site functions to enhance any group itinerary. Activities include golf tournaments, themed outdoor adventures and activities, team-building events, and more. Visit the Web site at www.VisitMesa.com or call 480-827-4700.

Sports and Recreation

Sports venues in Mesa include HoHoKam Stadium and Fitch Park (Chicago Cubs spring training facilities), 13 public pools, two municipal golf courses, four recreation centers, Red Mountain Multigenerational Center, two tennis facilities, and the recently completed Reed Park Skate Court. City of Mesa Parks and Recreation Division provides additional recreational activities.

The Phoenix-Mesa metropolitan area is one of only 11 cities in the nation to host teams in all four major professional sports: Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Firebirds Baseball, LPGA Classic, Chicago Cubs Spring Training, Auto Racing, Cactus League Games, Fiesta Bowl, Horse/Dog Racing, Phoenix Open PGA Golf, and much more.

Recreational Activities/Facilities

• 47 City Parks
• 71 Softball/Baseball Fields
• Horseback Riding
• 20 Golf Courses
• 11 Soccer Fields
• Hiking
• 10 Public Swimming Pools
• 70 miles of Bike Routes
• Hot Air Ballooning
• 120 Tennis Courts
• Boating
• Steamboat Cruises
• 56 Racquetball Courts
• Fishing
• Tubing & Rafting

Arts and Culture

The Mesa Arts Center (MAC) opened in the fall of 2005 and is the largest arts center in the state of Arizona and the only center offering comprehensive professional performing arts, visual arts, and arts education programming on one state-of-the-art campus.

The Mesa Arts Center has allowed award-winning local theater troupes, musicians, and artists to fully showcase their talents.

The Mesa Encore Theatre, Mesa’s all-volunteer community theater, can be currently found in the Anita Cox Farnsworth Studio.

The Symphony of the Southwest (formerly known as the Mesa Symphony Orchestra) the Southwest Shakespeare Company, the Ballet Etudes (the pre-professional ballet company) and the East Valley Children’s Theatre are also performing at the MAC. For more information, call the box office at 480-644-6500.

The City of Mesa’s museums include: The Arizona Museum for Youth, Arizona Museum of Natural History, Arizona Wing Commemorative Air Force Aircraft Museum, and the Mesa Historical Museum.

Real Estate

Mesa presents a living environment that invokes awe. Majestic mountain views envelop the city and the arid climate makes the hot summer months pleasant. The rich heritage of this Southwestern city teems throughout and creates a sense of pride and history. Residents share in the deep roots of Mesa and have an indelible impact on its future.

Established neighborhoods and new developments invite newcomers and appeal to long-time inhabitants. Relocating from another part of the country or just changing neighborhoods, homebuyers are afforded a choice of homes ranging from modest to magnificent.

For those who do not wish to buy, rental options are plentiful. Apartments can cost anywhere from $500 to $950 per month. Condominiums hover around $500 to about $2,500 monthly. Town home leasing can run from approximately $600 to $1,300 a month. Home rentals go anywhere from about $700 to as much as $3,900.

Those interested in purchasing a home in Mesa can choose from a diverse stock of homes. From lavishly appointed houses to the more moderate abodes, there is a home for every budget. Homes can cost as much as $11 million. This type of residence can be equipped with all imaginable amenities including acreage, accommodations for horses, a well-equipped kitchen, an in-ground pool and sauna, a spa-like master bathroom and contemporary bathroom facilities throughout, not to mention spectacular views.

More affordable homes can be snapped up anywhere from the average price of $250,000 to less than $100,000. These homes can still feature the characteristics homeowners are looking for such as a dining room, updated kitchen and bath, vaulted ceilings, master suites, spacious living areas and much more.

Looking for an older home with historic roots? The Mesa Historic Preservation Program works to protect and maintain the antique homes of the city. Quite a few of these properties exist in Mesa and attest to the importance of preserving the past while looking into the future.

Beyond a varied collection of homes and a breathtaking landscape, Mesa has much to offer current and prospective residents. Entertainment can be found all over the city, a presence of the arts brings culture, retailers create a shoppers dream, recreational opportunities never end, education is first-class, the business environment is stable and the health of the community is well in hand.

Education

Higher Education-Outstanding Innovative Schools
Mesa is home to an impressive array of top-rated educational institutions and collaborative partnerships that focus on producing a workforce that is not only technologically prepared, but also possesses a strong work ethic. Included are the following:

Arizona State University Polytechnic, Arizona School of Health Sciences, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, DeVry Institute of Technology, East Valley Institute of Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Keller Graduate School of Management, Mesa Community College, Ottawa University, AT Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, and the University of Phoenix.

Award-Winning K-12 Education
In Mesa, the focus of K-12 education is “choice.” Both public and private schools offer an array of educational options for primary and secondary students.

The K-12 educational system in Mesa includes public, as well as a number of private and parochial school systems. Charter schools, magnet schools, international baccalaureate programs, numerous parochial, Montessori, and other options typify Mesa’s commitment to education.

Mesa children attend one of Arizona’s highest rated and largest public school systems.

Expansion Management Magazine ranks Mesa Public Schools as a Gold Medal School District—a great place for businesses to relocate or branch out.

Mesa Public Schools and Gilbert Public Schools have recently received a “Gold Medal” designation in the Education Quotient (EQ) Ratings, which is published annually in Expansion Management magazine. The Gold Medal is the highest award given, a distinction that only 16 percent of the school districts evaluated receive.

Mesa is also home to approximately 35 charter schools and 14 private schools.

Shopping and Dining

New developments and the expansion of current shopping centers are providing Mesa with a new shopping and dining experience.

Walking through the streets of Mesa, one can find a virtual retail wonderland from downtown to the outer rim of the city. Downtown Mesa businesses have banded together with a common philosophy–“A Square Mile of Unique Style!” Hundreds of businesses are located in this portion of the city.

Mesa Riverview features 1.3 million square feet of shopping, entertainment and retail just northwest of downtown. Anchored by Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Mesa Riverview offers a lifestyle, entertainment and shopping center that is expected to include 20 major retailers and anchors with a total of 120-150 tenants at build out.

Fiesta Mall and Superstition Springs Center, totaling nearly 300 stores, have each become one-stop destinations for visitors and resident families in the rapidly growing East Valley. Currently, they have both gone through renovations and added new stores and restaurants.

Dana Park Village Square is a dramatic fashion-focused lifestyle center offering a mix of dining and upscale shopping.

Flavors from all over the globe as well as hometown favorites are on the menu in Mesa. Restaurants in Mesa feature cuisine from around the world including Mexican, Asian, German, Greek, Chinese, and of course, American. Mesa is also home to Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, providing great entertainment and dining.

Business

The City of Mesa is the third-largest city in the state of Arizona and the country’s 38th-largest city. The city provides the advantages of a thriving metropolis while maintaining the feel of a suburban environment.  Just 15 miles east of Phoenix, Mesa covers 128 square miles.

Mesa and Business

Mesa continues to offer the whole package, boosted by a nearly 60 percent surge in population since 1990. A combination of good local jobs, a commitment to high-quality education, and a family-friendly, laid-back lifestyle continues to attract residents to Mesa.

Business Attitude

Business opportunities abound for new residents; in fact, in 2006 Entrepreneur magazine named the Phoenix-Mesa area as the best U.S. city to start and grow a business. The magazine cites the continued exodus of California residents relocating to more affordable western states as a prime factor in the valley’s continued growth.

Mesa has eight business corridors or centers throughout the city’s planning area of approximately 170 square miles. These corridors are: Mesa Riverview, Union Pacific, Fiesta on the west side, the downtown area, Superstition Freeway West, the Falcon Field district, Superstition Freeway East, and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport corridor on Mesa’s east end. These economic activity centers host about 70 percent of the city’s jobs and 66 percent of the city’s businesses.

As of September, 2008, the countrywide unemployment rate equaled 6.1 percent. Comparably, the state of Arizona’s rate for the same month totaled 5.9 percent. Significantly lower is the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale at 5.4 percent.

These major employers in the city help to keep the rate lower than the national average:

Mesa Public Schools — 10,000
Banner Health System — 6,600
The Boeing Company — 4,700
City of Mesa — 3,700
Empire Southwest — 1,000
TRW — 800
Mesa Community College — 700
AMPAM Riggs Plumbing — 650
Mesa Fully Formed — 600
United States Postal — 520
Tribune Newspapers — 500

Mesa, located in Maricopa County, is one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.

There are solid reasons for Mesa’s growth:

• low costs of doing business
• reasonable tax structure
• skilled and well-educated workforce
• low crime rate, superior schools
• affordable housing
• and an excellent quality of life

Transportation

Mesa is one of the three valley cities that will offer light rail service. METRO is building a premier regional light rail system to enhance mobility and strengthen the economic health of the community. A 20-mile starter line opened December, 2008, and six high capacity transit corridors are being planned that may include light-rail extension lines. In Mesa, that includes 2.7 miles of new transit service extending from the transit center at Sycamore and Main streets. For more information contact METRO at (602) 254-RAIL or www.metrolightrail.org.

Mesa has its own airports. Falcon Field and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway both of which serve private and executive aircraft. Commercial services at Gateway are expanding. Vision Air offers service to Las Vegas, and Allegiant Air is now offering service to Bellingham, Washington; Billings, Montana; Stockton, California; and Peoria, Illinois. Silver State Helicopters offers services to Sky Harbor Airport and throughout the state.

Public transportation is available throughout Mesa, with Valley Metro running business Monday through Saturday and six park-and-ride sites around the city, Valley Metro provides local circulators and shuttle services throughout Mesa.

State roadways that run through Mesa include Beeline Highway (AZ 87), Hohokam Expressway (AZ 143), Piestewa Parkway (AZ 51), Price/Pima Freeway (AZ 101), Red Mountain Freeway (AZ 202 N), and San Tan Freeway (AZ 202 S). Travelers can also benefit from driving along the U.S. 60 East Superstition Freeway. Interstates include the essential Black Canyon Freeway (I-17), serving as a north-south byway catering to commuters and commerce. Blue Canyon Freeway also connects to the Maricopa Freeway (I-10 E) and Papago Freeway (I-10 W), as well as I-40. These interstates are two of the United States’ major east-west byways. Nearly 25 continuous miles of SR Loop 303 are now open to traffic from Interstate 10 to Lake Pleasant Road.