Cost of living in Mesa County
About Mesa County
Mesa County is the fourth-largest county by area in Colorado. It is famous for its fruit orchards, located in the sunny western portion of the Colorado River valley along with Grand Junction, the county seat and largest city on Colorado’s Western Slope. The county has a population of 146,723, most of which is concentrated in and around Grand Junction. Mesa County is ranked as the top fruit-producing county in the state and within the top 5 percent of all fruit-producing counties in the nation. Mesa County also ranks third in the state in the production of eggs and poultry.
Mesa County Economy
Thanks to its productive orchards and vineyards, sunny climate, and an abundance of public land, Mesa County has also developed a strong tourism industry. The economy of Mesa County employs 68.9k people and the Median household income is $51,971, which is less than the median annual income of $57,652 across the entire United States. Comparing median income to the United States, Mesa County is about 10 % smaller. Also, versus Colorado's state, the median income of $68,811, Mesa County is approximately three-fourths the size.
Income is significant for well-being, but living costs define expenses for maintaining a certain standard of living. That's why this index is taken into consideration when we determine how attractive the place to live in. So, what is the cost of living, exactly? It's simply the price of both big-ticket and everyday items, based on location. Housing is the most significant factor (buying a home is the biggest single purchase most people make during their lives) in the equation, along with transportation, utilities, food and healthcare.
Mesa County's housing expenses
Mesa County's housing expenses are only 4% higher than the national average, but 60% lower than the Colorado average. The Median Home Cost is also much lower in Mesa County ($240,800) in comparison with the Colorado average ($384 000). The utility prices are nearly equal to the national average. But transportation expenses like bus fares and gas prices are 16,3% lower than the national average.
100=National Average
Some experts point out that by relying too much on indexes, you may leave out essential items. One of those left-out items is taxes. Sales Taxes and Income per Cap. Taxes in Mesa County are lower than these indexes in the United States as a whole.
According to all the above indicators, Mesa County cost of living is 98.4 (cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100)
Speaking about Mesa County's cost of living, it's worth noting about Grand Junction. It's a rapidly growing town. It has become "discovered." first as more pleasant for living than other Colorado metropolitan areas, particularly for retirees, and also as the town with the cost of living 8% lower than the national average. It's home to 59.899 residents, more than a third of the Mesa County population.
