Costa Mesa vs Phoenix
The short version
- Phoenix is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 9% lower than in the Costa Mesa area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $420,700 in Phoenix and $1,115,100 in Costa Mesa.
- Households earn more in Costa Mesa ($111,505 vs $81,332 median).
- Phoenix has more scorching days: 173 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 13.
- Phoenix is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs -2.9%.
- Commutes are shorter in Costa Mesa (22 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Costa Mesa, CA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 108,881 | 1,665,481 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.9% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 6,889 | 3,213 |
| Median age | 36.7 | 34.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $111,505 | $81,332 |
| Median home value | $1,115,100 | $420,700 |
| Home value to income | 10.0× | 5.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,446 | $1,582 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 103.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 121.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $77,500 |
| Homeowners | 40% | 57% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 2.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 25.6 |
| Work from home | 22% | 19% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.7% | 5% |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 13.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 67° / 49° | 68° / 46° |
| July high / low | 79° / 66° | 107° / 85° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 7 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 13 | 173 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | 7% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +0.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +35.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Costa Mesa: January to December. Phoenix: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Costa Mesa weather by month and Phoenix weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Costa Mesa and $77,500 in Phoenix. Moving from Costa Mesa to Phoenix, you would need about $68,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Costa Mesa and Phoenix
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Costa Mesa and Phoenix.
Which would you pick?
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