Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Mesquite is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, 28th of 42 graded towns in Nevada, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is safety: it reports less crime per resident than 57% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its public schools trail 74% of Nevada towns on state tests and graduation. A typical home there costs about $372K, 4.9 years of the Las Vegas metro’s $76K median household income. 47% of residents are 65 or older in Mesquite, above both Nevada’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (18%). No town among the 12 in Nevada we compare has a lower property crime rate than Mesquite. Mesquite has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Desert Valley Museum and Mesquite High School Gymnasium.
Where Mesquite beats most towns.
Desert Valley Museum15,276 counted in 2010 and 20,471 in 2020; an estimated 24,001 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 17.3% since 2020, after 34% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Nevada), ordered by how far Mesquite is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,871 in 1990, 20,471 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mesquite, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Mesquite.
Mesquite fares better on crime within Nevada than nationally, is a second-home town and keeps more of its land conserved than most of Nevada.
15.6% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 2.7% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
Mesquite’s median age is 63.4 years. Mesquite has grown 17% since 2020, to 24,001 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 13% of Mesquite residents are under 18.
| Mesquite | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 63.4 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 13% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 22% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across Nevada, 49.6% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 68% are men (NV 51%). Median age: women 62.8, men 64.0.
| Mesquite | NV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.7% | 8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.3% | 14.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.8% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.9% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 27.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 19.3% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.9% | 12.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.3% | 27.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.6% | 23.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.8% | 18.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 9.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Clark County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Virgin Valley HS, with 765 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Valley ESLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 621 | B− |
| Virgin Valley HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 765 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NV on state tests and graduation
Its 7,645 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 88% of Nevada towns.
48 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. The trail density in Mesquite is 1.5 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Mesquite Sports and Event Complex, at 32 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mesquite Sports and Event Complex | 0.1 mi | 32 |
| 2. Hunter Sports Park | — | 13 |
| 3. Pioneer Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 2005, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mesquite.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 106.2°, hotter than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.6°.
Mesquite has mild winters and scorching summers, with very little rain.
| Mesquite | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 106°F | 94°F | 85°F |
| January low | 37°F | 25°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
55% of Mesquite’s working residents work right in town. Jobs based in Mesquite grew to 5,985 in 2023, 1,033 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Las Vegas (11%), Paradise (6%) and Henderson (4%).
| Mesquite | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 9% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical value, about $372K, is 8% below its July 2022 peak.
81% of households own their home in Mesquite. The typical Mesquite home is worth about $372,000, down 2.9% in a year, 16% below the Nevada typical home.
| Mesquite | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,181 a month | $1,419 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Among 42 Nevada towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Mesquite.
| Mesquite | Nevada towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 74% | 79% |
| What stands out | Mesquite | NV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.2% | 9.7% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10% | 15.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14% | 7.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 15.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 90% of Nevada’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 315 to 218 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mesquite. Close and well known come first.
34 mi State parkValley of Fire State Park
19 mi National Recreation AreaLake Mead National Recreation Area6.1M visitors a year
17 mi Canyon & gorgeVirgin River Gorge
38 mi State parkSnow Canyon State Park
26 mi MuseumLost City Museum
in town MuseumVirgin Valley Heritage MuseumValley of Fire State Park: Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Andrew Cattoir, Public domain · Virgin River Gorge: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Snow Canyon State Park: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Lost City Museum: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Virgin Valley Heritage Museum: K O, CC BY 2.0
None within 15 miles of Mesquite; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Mesquite residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Nevada.
2 places in Mesquite on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Nevada, United States
Mesquite is a city located in the northeast corner of Clark County, Nevada, United States adjacent to the Arizona state line and 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 20,471. The city is located in the Virgin River valley adjacent to the Virgin Mountains in the northeastern part of the Mojave Desert. It is home to a growing retirement community, as well as several casino resorts and golf courses.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Mesquite.
| Town | NV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesquite | #28 | C− | C+ | B | C | C+ |
| Bunkerville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Bunkerville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Mesquite with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Mesquite grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #28 of 42 in Nevada. It grades C+ for health, B for safety and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Cresent Hardy and Clark L. Reber.
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