ZIP 85212
Is your rent fair?
Compare your rent to the local median.
Rent by unit size
Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in ZIP 85212 usually run 1.1% below trend in January and 0.7% above it in July, about $40 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in ZIP 85212 is 0.9% below its high of $2,219 in January 2026, at $2,199 as of September 2026.
Rent in ZIP 85212 changed +0.4% over the year to September 2026. Across the 171 Arizona ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.6%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 85212 rose 39.6% while median household income rose 23.7% ($101,788 to $125,902). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in ZIP 85212 is 33.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($125,902) is $3,148 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,360); a 3-bedroom is $3,150.
12th cheapest of 13 ZIP codes in Mesa.
ZIP 85209, 4 miles away, rents for 13% less ($1,923/mo), about $3,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 85212. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
Who lives here
ZIP 85212 (Mesa, AZ) is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 42.4% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How ZIP 85212 in Mesa, AZ has changed in 5 years
Rent in ZIP 85212 in Mesa, AZ has increased 18.9% since 2021, going from about $1,850 per month to roughly $2,199 today. Median household income grew from $109,122 to $125,902 between 2021 and 2024, a 15.4% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 3.5 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 43,326 to 55,283 between 2021 and 2024, a 27.6% change. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 85212 in Mesa, AZ reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
Discussions about ZIP 85212
No discussions yet. Start the conversation.
Tips for renters in ZIP 85212
Last updated: October 17, 2026
ZIP code 85212 covers Mesa, AZ. The median rent here is $2,199/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $2,030/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $2,360/mo.
At 21% of local median household income ($125,902/yr), ZIP 85212 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 85212?
Is rent going up or down in ZIP 85212?
When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 85212?
Has rent outpaced income in ZIP 85212?
How does ZIP 85212 compare to other ZIPs in Arizona?
How does ZIP 85212 compare to the rest of Mesa?
At $2,199/mo, rent takes ~21% of ZIP 85212's median household income ($125,902/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
How does this area stack up?
Pick another city or ZIP to compare.
Be the first to submit your rent for this ZIP.
No discussions yet.