Mesa

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Mesa, AZ

Area Guide

A rich history and natural attractions allure renters to the desert

Suburban Commuter Desert Affordable Outdoors Historic

Mesa combines suburban living with city conveniences as Arizona's third-largest city. Spanning 143 square miles across the Sonoran Desert, the city features both established neighborhoods and newer developments. At its heart, downtown Mesa hosts the Mesa Arts Center, offering year-round performances and exhibits. The rental market shows average rates from $1,117 for studios to $2,585 for four-bedroom homes, with recent decreases between 0.8% to 2.5% year-over-year. Notable areas include Dobson Ranch with its golf course and lakes, the Las Sendas area near Red Mountain, and the developing Gateway district by Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

The city's heritage includes ancient Hohokam canals that still shape Mesa's water infrastructure today. Residents enjoy Red Mountain Park's 1,146 acres of recreational space, spring baseball at Sloan Park (home to Chicago Cubs training), and educational opportunities at Mesa Community College and ASU's Polytechnic campus. The Superstition Mountains provide hiking trails and outdoor recreation, while the Salt River offers water activities. Mesa Public Schools serves the community's educational needs. The area around Falcon Field Airport, home to Boeing's operations, continues to expand with technology companies, while local farmers' markets maintain the city's agricultural traditions.

Explore the City

The gorgeous sandstone buttes of Monument Valley

The Brins Mesa Rim

Rent Trends

As of December 2025, the average apartment rent in Mesa, AZ is $1,076 for a studio, $1,284 for one bedroom, $1,511 for two bedrooms, and $2,037 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Mesa has decreased by -2.0% in the past year.

Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$1,284/month
684 Sq Ft
House
$2,609/month
1,733 Sq Ft
Condo
$1,599/month
935 Sq Ft
Townhome
$1,951/month
1,220 Sq Ft
See Rental Market Trends in Mesa, AZ

Transportation

46

Car-Dependent

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

This area is considered a car-dependent area and most errands will require a car.

25

Some Transit

out of 100 TransitScore® Rating

You'll likely want a car when living in this area since it has few transit options.

60

Bikeable

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

While there’s some bike infrastructure in this area, you’ll still need a car for many errands.

Schools

Las Sendas Elementary School

Public

Grades PK-6

747 Students

Franklin Accelerated Academy- Downtown Campus

Public

Grades PK-6

430 Students

Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies

Public

Grades 4-9

410 Students

Canyon Rim Elementary

Public

Grades PK-6

849 Students

Ishikawa Elementary School

Public

Grades PK-6

835 Students

Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies

Public

Grades 4-9

410 Students

Franklin Junior High School

Public

Grades 7-8

269 Students

Highland Jr High School

Public

Grades 6-8

979 Students

Desert Ridge High

Public

Grades 8-12

2,284 Students

Fremont Junior High School

Public

Grades 7-8

984 Students

Mountain View High School

Public

Grades 9-12

3,372 Students

Red Mountain High School

Public

Grades 9-12

3,448 Students

Desert Ridge High

Public

Grades 8-12

2,284 Students

Dobson High School

Public

Grades 9-12

2,370 Students

Westwood High School

Public

Grades 9-12

3,570 Students

Points of Interest

Parks and Recreation

  • Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch
  • Arizona Museum of Natural History
  • i.d.e.a. Museum
  • Red Mountain Park
  • Usery Mountain Recreation Area

Commuter Rail

Airports

  • Phoenix-Mesa Gateway
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International

Top Apartments in Mesa

Houses for Rent in Mesa

Property Management Companies in Mesa, AZ

Living in Mesa

Restaurants

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With amazing restaurants at every corner, you’ll never go hungry in Mesa. Starting with the Mall, you can find places like Applebees, Blue Adobe Grill, and a fully loaded food court. When it comes to dining out, Mesa has places such as Buca di Beppo, Rockin Ranch, Mammoth Steak House at Goldfield Ghost Town, Mesa Amphitheatre, and Matta’s Grill and Cantina. You will also find places such as Olive Garden, Denny’s and Red Lobster. Other places to eat are located in the malls all throughout Mesa. These include the Fiesta Mall and the Outlets nearby in Chandler.

One of the most popular places to eat in Mesa is located in East Mesa, the Mining Camp Restaurant & The Dutchman’s Hide Out. This is a local favorite and has live shows, cowboy themed events and décor, and really brings the western aspect of Mesa to life. Mining Camp and Dutchman’s Hide Out are open year-round. The food is great and people are always smiling having a good time. You will love the hospitality and service.

Shopping

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You can find every store possible in Mesa, AZ. There are friendly and fun shopping centers all over the city with the largest being Superstition Springs Shopping Center. At Superstition Springs Mall you can find Sears, Express, Rue 21, Aeropostale, Dillard’s and Famous Footwear. There are plenty of places to eat as well in the Mall and it is open 7 days a week. Mesa also has shopping in the Downtown Mesa area with art events that allow you to buy unique gifts.

Some of the best shopping in Mesa is at its Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. Far in East Mesa there are a lot of desert shops that cater to western clothing, Indian jewelry, and the history of Mesa and its mountains. There are little shops along Main Street that offer family crafted gifts, often done by hand.

Highlights

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Mesa's sister city is Burnaby, BC, a large city on the east side of Vancouver in British Columbia.

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in November 2025.