Mesa Real Estate & Community Information
Your Introduction to the City of Mesa and Mesa Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Mesa – Today
Mesa is the second largest city in the Valley and is located east of Tempe, north of Chandler, and north of Gilbert. Consistent with the diversity across the cities and towns that make up the Phoenix area, Mesa is distinctly different from its neighbors.
Mesa is currently ranked as the 38th largest U.S. city by population with 462,000 residents who call Mesa home (according to the 2006 Census Bureau estimate and city estimates), and the third largest city in Arizona. From a landmass perspective, Mesa is spread out and encompasses 133 square miles of land.
Mesa has a long and proud history. As well, it is home to Chicago Cubs Spring Training baseball.
Mesa – A History
Mesa’s history goes much further back than many people realize. Like other Valley cities, Mesa was originally home to the Hohokam Indians who lived on the land 2,000 years ago and were responsible for the 125 miles of canals, much of which is still used today in one form or another. Much later, after the Hohokam Indians disappeared, the Apaches settled the land just east of Mesa.
The Apaches were responsible for driving out the Spanish in the 1700s. The Apaches would be pushed back in the late 1800s by the U.S. Army. This opened the area up to potential settlement by explorers and settlers coming south from Utah and Idaho and west into Arizona.
In September of 1877, 85 members of The First Mesa Company, left Utah and Idaho and made the long trek to Arizona and the local area that would become known as Mesa. In On July 17, 1878, Theodore Sirrine registered the land that is now called the Town Center. In 1889, the Post Office allowed the name of Mesa City for use by the town.
Dr. A.J. Chandler (founder of Chandler) was also integral in Mesa’s development as he helped to enlarge the Mesa Canal in 1895. In addition, Dr. Chandler would also assist in the construction of an electrical plant which would later be bought by the growing town in 1917.
World War II would spur growth in Mesa as Falcon Field Airport and Williams Air Force Base were both constructed during this time. After the war, many of the military families stationed at the bases would choose Mesa to settle at. Aerospace companies moved into the Mesa area throughout the 1950s. Since that time, Mesa’s industry has evolved from a significant agricultural component (half of residents worked in agriculture up until the late 1950s) to a more balanced industry base encompassing commercial, retail, industrial, and agricultural sectors more consistent with a larger city.
Great Resources & Information on Mesa
Mesa Real Estate
Mesa’s location in the Valley and the lower cost of homes there make it appealing for many who need inexpensive housing but still need to commute to other parts of the Valley for employment. Access to I-60 or the 202 to the north gives Mesa residents the ability to commute into more central areas of the Valley fairly easily.
Mesa real estate tends to be at a significant discount to real estate in the cities around it. Because of Mesa’s long history in the Valley, Mesa homes tend to be older in construction in the more central areas. Traditional block construction homes with flat and pitched roofs are very common. Some neighborhoods have fared well over the years while others show signs of revitalization as residents remodel. Indeed, the City of Mesa likes to call out the fact that the Mesa housing market’s average home prices are lower than the Phoenix metropolitan area average prices.
Zoning tends to be more mixed development as apartment buildings and other commercial retail may be located near single-family dwellings next to commercial office or industrial space.
Mesa real estate, like many of the Valley cities, has experienced its share of new home growth. Much of this is in the eastern sections of the city as new build developments filled in many of the open land areas that existed. The completion of the loop 202 freeway has enabled some of this development and gave residents in these areas a more expeditious driving route to other parts of the East Valley.
Mesa is an excellent fit for many Valley residents looking for more affordable housing in established and new communities with easy access to major freeways and amenities such as golf courses, community festivals, and sports venues.
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