Residential comparison · 13 facts
Fountain Hills, AZ vs Mesa, AZ
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Fountain Hills needs about $77,000 in Mesa to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Mesa, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $93,000 in Fountain Hills.
A few differences
- Fountain Hills is higher on median household income ($112,654 vs $82,752).
- Mesa is lower on cost of living index (105 vs 120).
- Mesa is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,615/mo vs $1,837/mo).
Fountain Hills vs Mesa · facet by facet
| Facet | Fountain Hills, AZ | Mesa, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $622,900 | $408,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,837/mo | $1,615/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| State & local income tax | 1.64% | 1.64% |
| Sales tax | 8.4% | 8.4% |
| Cost of living index | 120 | 105 |
| Groceries index | 100 | 100 |
| Utilities | $190/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $112,654 | $82,752 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 4.8/10 | 4.8/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 290 days | 290 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Fountain Hills, AZ · Mesa, AZ
Questions & answers
- Is Fountain Hills cheaper than Mesa?
- Mesa has the lower day-to-day cost index (105 vs 120 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Mesa equals $85,000 in Fountain Hills?
- A household earning $85,000 in Fountain Hills needs about $77,000 in Mesa to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Mesa lifestyle costs about $93,000 in Fountain Hills.