Mesa () is a city in Franklin County,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, United States. The population was 385 at the 2020 census.

History

Originally called Bluff Wells, then Judson, now Mesa was a stop on the Ainsworth (now Pasco) to

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

branch of the

Northern Pacific Railroad The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

. It was the stop between Eltopia and Palouse Junction (now Connell). The station was established in 1883. The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project brought water to the area in 1948. Prior to this development, people relied on either private wells or the railroad well at Mesa. Mesa was officially incorporated on June 23, 1955.

Geography

Mesa is situated in Esquatzel Coulee at the junction of U.S. Route 395 and State Route 17, the latter of which has its southern terminus in Mesa. Route 395 connects Mesa with

Interstate 82 Interstate 82 (I-82) is an Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States that travels through parts of Washington (state), Washington and Oregon. It runs from its northwestern terminus at I ...

in the Tri-Cities to the southwest and

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

in Ritzville to the northeast. Its location in a

coulee Coulee, or coulée ( or ), is any of various different landforms, all of which are kinds of valleys or drainage zones. The word ''coulee'' comes from the Canadian French ''coulée'', from French ''couler'' 'to flow'. The term is often used ...

means Mesa sits in a depression relative to the surrounding terrain, which rises a few hundred feet around the city. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 489 people, 124 households, and 106 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 128 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 26.8% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 75.3% of the population. There were 124 households, of which 66.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 12.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 14.5% were non-families. 9.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.94 and the average family size was 4.08. The median age in the city was 23.8 years. 36.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 15.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 16.5% were from 45 to 64; and 3.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 425 people, 105 households, and 91 families residing in the city. The population density was 268.7 people per square mile (103.9/km²). There were 111 housing units at an average density of 70.2 per square mile (27.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.59%

, 0.94% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 28.24% from other races, and 11.76% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 59.29% of the population. There were 105 households, out of which 64.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.4% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.3% were non-families. 7.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.05 and the average family size was 4.15. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 42.6% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 10.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $39,583. Males had a median income of $28,250 versus $21,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,882. About 9.0% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Current events

In 2008, the city was involved in litigation with former mayor and councilwoman Donna Zink over incorrectly handled public document requests under Washington State's Public Records Act. A Superior Court judge has ruled that the town of Mesa must pay its former mayor about $230,000 after losing the long-running dispute.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Franklin County, Washington