| Measure | MesaArizona, United States Remove Mesa | RiversideCalifornia, United States Remove Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.6 | 6.5 |
| Connector Score | 7.7 | 8.8 |
| Safety | 6.0 | 7.4 |
| Affordability | 5.3 | 2.9 |
| Transportation | 8.0 | 10.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 5.0 | 8.5 |
| Walkability | 5.3 | 8.2 |
| Things to do | 6.4 | 6.1 |
| Food & dining | 5.2 | 5.0 |
| Places to stay | 6.7 | 6.5 |
| Nature & outdoors | 9.0 | 4.0 |
| Scenic value | 8.0 | 5.8 |
| Family friendliness | 7.2 | 5.0 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.1 | 6.4 |
| Nightlife | 3.8 | 4.6 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 1.0 | 8.8 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 7.3 | 8.0 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $125 | $50 |
| Mid-range | $195 | $83 |
| Luxury | $350 | $175 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 112 | 138 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,313 | $2,000 |
| Median home price | $435,000 | $647,000 |
| Population | 514K | 323K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Bus Airport | Drive Train Bus Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Mesa | — | 7 h 38 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Outdoors, National parks | Car-free travel, History |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Pro sports, Shopping, Family & kids | Mountains & hiking, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Live music |
| When to go | Peak: Feb-April and Jan-Mar for winter visito… | Peak: Around holiday Festival of Lights and s… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.