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Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona and
part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale Metropolitan Area. It is the
third-largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson.
Mesa is one of the nation's fastest-growing cities, and currently
ranks as the 41st-largest. In 2005 The City of Mesa website
estimated the city's population at 451,860. Though a suburban
city, Mesa actually has a larger population than better-known
cities such as St. Louis, Missouri and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Despite its large population, Mesa has a decidedly
bedroom-community, sprawl-like character. Its downtown is minimal,
and there are very few buildings in Mesa with more than two
stories. Nevertheless, the recently completed Mesa Arts Center may
help invigorate downtown Mesa. The city is also home to many gated
retirement communities, which may explain the large percentage of
senior citizens in the population.
Mesa was founded in January 1878 by Mormon (LDS) pioneers and its
population is still roughly one-quarter Mormon. Since the city's
population is well over twice that of Salt Lake City (which is now
only about one-third LDS), Mesa has a greater Mormon population
than any other single city in the world. The LDS Church operates
one of its oldest temples in Mesa (the Mesa Arizona Temple), and
the city is a hub of sorts for Latter-day Saints residing in the
Phoenix Metro area.
Mesa's residents exhibit jarring economic diversity, with
low-income areas and mobile-home parks somewhat close to
high-scale neighborhoods with extravagant custom homes. |
