Mesa County, Colorado

CO · FIPS 08077 Republican

Located in Colorado, Mesa County has a population of 158,601 residents and a median age of 41.3 years, making it the #438 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.7%. The median home value is $378,600, and the median household income is $73,658, which is 2% below the national median.

158,601
Population
#438 of 3,222
$73,658
Median Income
-2.0% #939 of 3,222
41.3 years
Median Age
+6.2% #1,700 of 3,222
10.7%
Poverty Rate
-14.9% #951 of 3,222

Demographics

Mesa County has a population of 158,601, making it the #438 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.3 years, which is 6.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.9%
Native Born
4.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mesa County is $73,658, ranking #939 out of 3,222 counties — 2.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.7% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.

Income#939
$73,658
-2.0%
vs nation
71th percentile
Per Capita#815
$40,076
-2.9%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poverty#951
10.7%
-14.9%
vs nation
71th percentile
Unemployment#2,262
5.4%
+2.2%
vs nation
30th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mesa County is $378,600 (+34.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,182/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.5%.

Home Value#344
$378,600
+34.3%
vs nation
89th percentile
Rent#566
$1,182
+1.6%
vs nation
82th percentile
Homeownership#1,940
72.5%
+12.5%
vs nation
40th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mesa County, 32.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 4.1% below the national average, ranking #610 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
32.3% −4.1% vs nation
Rank #610 of 3,222
81th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mesa County is 76.7 years. 15.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#998
76.7
+2.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#707
15.7%
-19.7%
vs nation
78th percentile
Diabetes#130
7.9%
-29.0%
vs nation
96th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#161
30.7%
-17.7%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,327
6.0
+6.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,418
4.3
-2.4%
vs nation
55th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,679
9.9%
-5.3%
vs nation
47th percentile
Physical Inactivity#178
18.6%
-29.5%
vs nation
94th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,116
12.9%
-10.5%
vs nation
65th percentile

Substance Use

15.8% of adults in Mesa County smoke , 30.3% are obese , and 22.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#867
15.8%
-12.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Adult Obesity#203
30.3%
-20.1%
vs nation
94th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,388
22.1%
+11.0%
vs nation
24th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#878
24.8
-23.3%
vs nation
59th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Mesa County is 5.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 31.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#618
5.0
-37.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Suicide Rate#2,384
31.8
+61.4%
vs nation
7th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,747
20.9
+17.0%
vs nation
29th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#793
13.8
-31.9%
vs nation
72th percentile

Families & Children

13.4% of children in Mesa County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#125
4.2
-37.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,306
18.4
-15.8%
vs nation
57th percentile
Child Poverty#830
13.4%
-29.4%
vs nation
74th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mesa County is 77.6%. The mean commute time is 20.5 min, which is 25.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
77.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.5 min −25.6% vs nation
Rank #2,763 of 3,222
14th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mesa County voted Republican with a margin of 24.3%. The vote was 36.7% Dem / 61% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +3.7 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +24.3%
36.7% 61%
Dem 91,600 votes Rep
2020 REP +28.0%
34.8% 62.8%
Dem 90,622 votes Rep
2016 REP +36.3%
28% 64.3%
Dem 74,876 votes Rep
2012 REP +32.8%
32.5% 65.3%
Dem 69,033 votes Rep
2008 REP +29.5%
34.5% 64%
Dem 69,631 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Mesa County, Colorado

Mesa County, Colorado has a total population of 158,601, making it the 438th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mesa County is 41.3 years, which is 6.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Mesa County is $73,658, which ranks #939 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.

The median home value in Mesa County is $378,600, 34.3% above the national median. Renters in Mesa County pay a median gross rent of $1,182 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Mesa County, 32.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.5 min.

Mesa County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 78.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).

All data for Mesa County, Colorado comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.