Moving to Mesa, AZ: Mesa Homes for Sale and Local Guide

Mesa is Arizona's third-largest city, about 139 square miles in the East Valley east of Tempe, with US 60, Loop 101 and Loop 202 running through it. Mesa homes for sale range from downtown condos and 1970s ranch homes to golf and lake communities, 55+ neighborhoods and new master plans like Eastmark.

I'm Terry Day with DeLex Realty. Mesa is big enough that "where in Mesa" matters as much as "Mesa." West Mesa feels close-in and established, north and northeast Mesa climb toward the mountains, and the southeast side around Mesa Gateway Airport is where most of the newest building is. This guide walks through the city the way I explain it to buyers.

See Mesa homes for sale Call Terry: 602-483-4665

Where Mesa is and how you get around

Mesa sits in the East Valley, bordered by Tempe to the west, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to the north, Gilbert and Queen Creek to the south and Apache Junction to the east. The Superstition Freeway (US 60) crosses the city east to west, Loop 101 runs along the west side, and Loop 202 wraps around the north and east and then swings back west through the southeast. The State Route 24 Gateway Freeway opened its first mile, from Loop 202 to Ellsworth Road, in 2014 and now reaches farther east toward the Pinal County line.

Valley Metro light rail runs down Main Street through downtown. The Central Mesa extension opened in 2015, and a two-mile extension to Gilbert Road opened in May 2019, adding Stapley and Gilbert Road stations plus a park-and-ride. From the west Mesa stations you can ride into Tempe and Phoenix without a car.

A short history

Long before Mesa, the Hohokam built canals across the Salt River Valley. In 1878 a group of Latter-day Saint settlers from Utah and Idaho, known as the Mesa Company, arrived and reused an old Hohokam canal route to build the Mesa Canal. Mesa City was incorporated on July 15, 1883, on a one-square-mile townsite. Growth took off in the 1980s, when the population jumped from about 152,000 in 1980 to 288,000 in 1990.

Main areas and neighborhoods

• Downtown Mesa: light rail on Main Street, the Mesa Arts Center and ASU at Mesa City Center, which opened in 2022 and houses ASU's film school. See my downtown Mesa condos and lofts page.
• West Mesa: established neighborhoods near Loop 101, including Dobson Ranch, a planned community with small lakes and a golf course, plus the Riverview area along the Salt River.
• Northeast Mesa: Red Mountain Ranch and Las Sendas, with golf, hillside lots and views toward Red Mountain and the Usery Mountains.
• East Mesa: Superstition Springs near US 60, and Leisure World, a longtime 55+ community.
• Southeast Mesa: Eastmark, a 3,155-acre master plan on the former GM Proving Grounds, along with other new communities near Mesa Gateway Airport.

Types of homes

Mesa has nearly every kind of home in the Valley. West and central Mesa have many single-story homes from the 1960s through the 1990s on larger lots than you'll find in new subdivisions, which is why they attract remodelers. Northeast Mesa adds golf course and hillside homes,. Southeast Mesa is where the national and regional builders are active today, with new construction, smaller lots and amenity centers. Mesa also has a deep supply of 55+ communities, manufactured-home and RV resort communities, and condos and townhomes near downtown and the freeways.

Browse Mesa by type: pool homes · luxury homes ($1M+) · condos and townhomes · 55+ homes · gated communities · golf communities · new construction · pickleball communities · resort-style communities

Things to do

The Mesa Arts Center, which the city calls the largest arts center in Arizona, anchors downtown along with the Arizona Museum of Natural History and the i.d.e.a. Museum for kids. Spring training is a big deal here: the Chicago Cubs play at Sloan Park and the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium. Riverview Park covers about 155 acres with a fishing lake, splash pad and climbing structure, and connects to the Rio Salado path toward Tempe Town Lake.

Out east, Usery Mountain Regional Park has desert trails and camping, and the Bush Highway leads into the Tonto National Forest, where Saguaro Lake is about 31 miles from Mesa. Golfland Sunsplash and the seasonal Mesa Market Place Swap Meet are local favorites.

School districts serving Mesa

Mesa Public Schools covers most of the city. Parts of southeast Mesa are served by Gilbert Public Schools, Higley Unified and Queen Creek Unified, so the district depends on the address. See Mesa Public Schools for its boundary tools, and my Mesa Unified homes page. Always confirm school assignments with the district.

Airports, jobs and shopping

Mesa Gateway Airport, renamed from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway in December 2024, sits on the former Williams Air Force Base with three 10,000-foot runways and nonstop service on Allegiant and Sun Country. Falcon Field, a city-owned airport that opened in 1941 to train British and American pilots, serves private and business aircraft in northeast Mesa.

Large employers include Mesa Public Schools, Banner Health, Boeing, which builds AH-64 Apache helicopters in Mesa, and the City of Mesa. Apple and Google both have data center campuses in the city. For shopping, Mesa Riverview, Superstition Springs Center and downtown's Main Street cover most needs.

Utilities

The City of Mesa provides water and wastewater. Electric service depends on the address: the city runs its own electric utility in about 5.5 square miles, including downtown, and SRP serves the rest. Natural gas comes from either the City of Mesa or Southwest Gas. I always check the providers for a specific home.

Buying and selling in Mesa

Because Mesa's housing stock spans 60-plus years, I compare homes by era and area, not just square footage. Older homes may need a closer look at roofs, plumbing and electrical panels, and new-build buyers should compare builder incentives against resale prices nearby. Start with first steps to buying a home in Arizona, and ask me about assumable mortgages. Sellers can read how to price your Arizona home to sell and my Mesa home values guide.

Questions buyers ask about Mesa

Is Mesa a separate city from Phoenix?
Yes. Mesa is its own city, the third largest in Arizona, east of Tempe and Phoenix in the East Valley.

Which part of Mesa has the newest homes?
Southeast Mesa, near Mesa Gateway Airport and the SR 24 corridor, is where most new construction is happening, including the Eastmark master plan.

Does Mesa have light rail?
Yes. Valley Metro light rail runs through downtown Mesa along Main Street and ends at Gilbert Road, with a park-and-ride there.

Who provides electricity in Mesa?
It depends on the address. SRP serves most of the city, and the City of Mesa's own electric utility serves about 5.5 square miles, including downtown.

More Mesa links: all Mesa homes for sale · DeLex Realty Mesa listings · nearby guides for Gilbert, Tempe, Chandler and Queen Creek.

City facts come from the City of Mesa, the U.S. Census Bureau, ADOT, Valley Metro and other public sources and can change. Confirm school assignments and utility providers for a specific address.