Mesa, Arizona, part of the Phoenix metropolitan area, has the distinction of being the second largest suburban area in the United States behind Long Beach, California. With more than four hundred and forty eight thousand people in Mesa, single demographic dominance is held by Caucasians - eighty percent of the total. Twenty percent of the population is Hispanic and three percent is African American.
In Mesa, female residents outnumber men. For every one hundred women there are 95.6 men. Of the approximately one hundred and forty seven thousand households in Mesa, female householders comprise ten percent. Fifty-three percent of the households are made up of married couples. The average age in the city is thirty-two. The average income is approximately forty-three thousand with men earning thirty-six thousand and women twenty-seven thousand.
Mesa single residents can choose from a large variety of restaurants representing all cuisines. The downtown area is filled with shopping venues, cafes, coffee shops, and museums including the Arizona Museum of Youth and the Mesa Arts Center which is the largest in the state with five art galleries, four theatres, and fourteen art studios.
If a Mesa single is thinking about becoming a Mesa double, the Regency Garden downtown is one of the most popular spots in town for a wedding. Mesa residents can avail themselves of both indoor and outdoor settings and full-service catering.
For seven years downtown has played host to the "Sculptures in the Streets" exhibit. Visitors to the exhibit in Mesa single out "Big Charlie Black," a permanent part of the city's downtown collection, as one of their favorite sculptures. By Carrie Gantt Quade, "Big Charlie" is a charmingly whimsical pig with a slight grin and wonderful floppy ears.
Downtown Mesa is only twelve miles from the Phoenix airport. For any occasion from a simple visit with friends to a wedding, Mesa residents can easily fly their visitors in and house them in any of the metropolitan area's fine hotels. Choose from an economic stay at a local Day's Inn or opt for the luxury of the Westgate Painted Mountain Resort.
If there is any complaint about Mesa, single attention is paid to the fact that this is a hot region during the summer. It is not unusual for temperatures to climb over one hundred degrees. June, July, and August are particularly sweltering. The saving grace is that nights fall into the seventies and the winters are mild and pleasant.
Mesa has a strong Mormon heritage. The religious group actually founded the city in 1878 and still constitutes about twenty-five percent of the overall population. In general the area is largely Protestant with some ninety to one hundred Catholic congregations.
As part of an enormous metropolitan area, Mesa residents have access to all the amenities of the larger surrounding environment but the community has managed to preserve a distinct character all its own. From annual arts festivals to fine local dining and accommodations, Mesa is part of one of the fastest growing urban areas in the United States.