1,676,481
Phoenix is a city located in Maricopa County and Pinal County Arizona. Phoenix has a 2024 population of 1,676,481. It is also the county seat of Maricopa County. Phoenix is currently growing at a rate of 0.97% annually and its population has increased by 3.98% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 1,612,337 in 2020.
The average household income in Phoenix is $99,862 with a poverty rate of 14.63%. The median age in Phoenix is 34.4 years: 33.9 years for males, and 34.9 years for females.
Phoenix is the largest city and capital of the state of Arizona. It's also the most populous state capital and the center of the Phoenix metropolitan area (or the Valley of the Sun), which is home to over 4.5 million people in 2016. During 2012, Phoenix increased its population by 1.7%. It's believed that sometime during 2013, Phoenix passed Philadelphia in population, although in 2016, Philadelphia again surpassed Phoenix.
Phoenix Diversity and Religion
The most common ancestries in Phoenix were: Mexican (35.9%), German (15.3%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.4%), African American (6.5%), Italian (4.5%), American (2.7%) and Polish (2.5%). Since the 2000 Census, the proportion of white people in Phoenix has dropped from 71% and African American proportion has grown from 5%. In 2000, Hispanics and Latinos accounted for just 34% of the population. In 2010, the metropolitan area was 35% Catholic, 22% Evangelical Protestant, 16% LDS, 14% nondenominational, 7% Mainline Protestant, 2% Hindu, and 4% other religions.
Phoenix Population Growth
In early 2013, Forbes ranked the Phoenix Metro Area as the 8th fastest-growing major city in the United States, after Austin, Houston, Dallas, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Provo. In 2015, Phoenix remained on Forbes' list but dropped to number 11.
By 2020, it's forecasted that Phoenix will become the 4th most populous city in the US, and by 2030, the US Census Bureau estimates its population will reach 2.2 million with a metropolitan area that's home to 6.3 million.
The Hohokam people lived in the area that eventually became Phoenix for over 2,000 years, developing an extensive system of irrigation canals to make the desert area arable. Some of these canals later became used for the modern Arizona Canal and the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct. The Hohokam eventually abandoned the area between 1300 and 1450 due to floods and drought, and the Akimel O'odham settled here, as well as the Yavapai and eventually the Maricopa.
The end of the Mexican-American war in 1848 resulted in much of the land in the region passing to the US, and a fort was eventually created by the US Army in the area in 1865 to quell uprisings from local Native Americans.
Phoenix itself began with a Confederate veteran named Jack Swilling, who traveled there in the 1850s to seek wealth. When he found the abandoned river valley, he thought it would be suitable for farming, and he built a series of canals following those of the old Native American System.
The land was sold in 1870, and a church opened in 1871, as well as a store and soon a school and a courtroom. Phoenix outgrew its form of government by 1881 and incorporated, and the population experienced high growth with the railroads in the 1880s.
By 1950, Phoenix was home to 100,000 people in the city and thousands in surrounding areas, and it continued to attract new business and become a popular tourist destination. In 2007, it became the second-fastest growing metro area in the US after Las Vegas with a growth of 24%, but it was one of the hardest hit areas during the subprime mortgage crisis.
Phoenix Demographics
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Phoenix was:
- White: 59.44%
- Two or more races: 16.85%
- Other race: 10.31%
- Black or African American: 7.36%
- Asian: 3.69%
- Native American: 2.15%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.2%
State
Arizona
County
Maricopa County
Pinal County
Land Area (mi²)
518.3
sq mi
Density (mi²)
3,234.40
/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
3.98% (
64,144
)
The current population of Phoenix, Arizona is 1,676,481 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 1,612,337.
Population by Race
White
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Phoenix Population by Race
Phoenix Population Pyramid 2024
Phoenix Median Age
34.4
Total
33.9
Male
34.9
Female
Phoenix Adults
There are 1,215,251 adults, (185,471 of whom are seniors) in Phoenix.
Phoenix Sex Ratio
Female | 798,482 | 49.61% |
Male | 810,974 | 50.39% |
Phoenix Population by Age
Phoenix Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 591,169 | 2.68 | 56.4 | 43.6 |
Married | 243,135 | 3.44 | 74.2 | 25.8 |
Non Family | 216,828 | 1.32 | 42.9 | 57.1 |
Female | 87,741 | 3.58 | 44.2 | 55.8 |
Male | 43,465 | 3.42 | 49.4 | 50.6 |
3.33
Average Family Size
2.68
Average Household Size
56.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Phoenix Households and Families
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
Phoenix Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)
Phoenix Educational Attainment by Race
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.15%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 60.98%.
Phoenix Educational Attainment by Race
All
Male
Female
$46,004
Average Earnings
$49,775
Average Male
$41,820
Average Female
Phoenix Earnings by Educational Attainment
Phoenix Language by Age
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
Phoenix Language
63.07% of Phoenix residents speak only English, while 36.93% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 30.43% of the population.
Phoenix Language
Phoenix Poverty by Race
rate
14.63%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.49%
Male Poverty Rate
15.79%
Female Poverty Rate
Poverty in Phoenix
The race most likely to be in poverty in Phoenix is Native, with 22.2% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Phoenix is White, with 9.11% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.28%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.96%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.52%.
Phoenix Poverty
rate
Phoenix Poverty Rate by Education
rate
Phoenix Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex
Phoenix Income by Household Type
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
mean
median
Income by Household Type
Phoenix Marital Status
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Marriage Rates
42.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.9%
Male Marriage Rate
41.4%
Female Marriage Rate
Phoenix Married by Age and Sex
male
female
Phoenix Marriage
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Phoenix Marital Status by Race
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Phoenix Marital Status
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
Phoenix Veterans by War
count
Phoenix Veterans by Age
count
Phoenix Veterans by Race
Phoenix Veterans by Education
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
8.98%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.15%
Veteran Disability Rate
Phoenix Veterans by Education
LaborForceParticipation
Phoenix Employment by Age
LaborForceParticipation
Phoenix Employment by Race
LaborForceParticipation
Phoenix Employment by Education
Origin of Non-Citizens
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Origin of Naturalized Citizens
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
42.27%
Born in Phoenix
80.72%
Native Born
19.28%
Foreign Born
11.74%
Non Citizen
7.54%
Naturalized
Place of Birth
80.72% of Phoenix residents were born in the United States, with 42.27% having been born in Arizona. 11.74% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Phoenix Place of Birth
Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 1,756,661 | 16,036 | 0.92% |
2028 | 1,740,625 | 16,036 | 0.93% |
2027 | 1,724,589 | 16,036 | 0.94% |
2026 | 1,708,553 | 16,036 | 0.95% |
2025 | 1,692,517 | 16,036 | 0.96% |
2024 | 1,676,481 | 16,036 | 0.97% |
2023 | 1,660,445 | 16,036 | 0.98% |
2022 | 1,644,409 | 19,053 | 1.17% |
2021 | 1,625,356 | 13,019 | 0.81% |
2020 | 1,612,337 | -70,596 | -4.19% |
2019 | 1,682,933 | 27,851 | 1.68% |
2018 | 1,655,082 | 21,378 | 1.31% |
2017 | 1,633,704 | 21,401 | 1.33% |
2016 | 1,612,303 | 28,543 | 1.8% |
2015 | 1,583,760 | 28,275 | 1.82% |
2014 | 1,555,485 | 28,980 | 1.9% |
2013 | 1,526,505 | 27,255 | 1.82% |
2012 | 1,499,250 | 29,480 | 2.01% |
2011 | 1,469,770 | 20,772 | 1.43% |
2010 | 1,448,998 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 1,321,045 | 337,642 | 34.33% |
1990 | 983,403 | 193,699 | 24.53% |
1980 | 789,704 | 205,401 | 35.15% |
1970 | 584,303 | 145,133 | 33.05% |
1960 | 439,170 | 332,352 | 311.14% |
1950 | 106,818 | 41,404 | 63.3% |
1940 | 65,414 | 17,296 | 35.94% |
1930 | 48,118 | 19,065 | 65.62% |
1920 | 29,053 | 17,919 | 160.94% |
1910 | 11,134 | 5,590 | 100.83% |
1900 | 5,544 | 2,392 | 75.89% |
1890 | 3,152 | -1,753,509 | -99.82% |
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