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Regional Overview

Area

When it comes to population and growth statistics for planning by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), statistics vary by three different types of geography:

  • Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) area
    The MAG MPO area is 10,654 square miles and consists of 27 cities and towns, three Native American Indian Communities, all of Maricopa County, and portions of Pinal County.
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale Metropolitan Statistical Area (Phoenix MSA)
    The Phoenix MSA includes all of Maricopa and Pinal counties and is 14,587 square miles (Maricopa County, 9,223 square miles and Pinal County, 5,364 square miles).

MAG Planning Area

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Planning region for MAG

Population

  • The population of the MAG MPO is 4.4 million (July 1, 2016, estimate), which is 64.4% of the state's population.
  • The population of the Phoenix MSA is approximately 4.55 million (July 1, 2016, estimate), with a projected population of 7.7 million by 2050. The Phoenix MSA makes up 66.6% of the state's population.
  • The population of Maricopa County is approximately 4.13 million (July 1, 2016 estimate), with a projected population of 6.7 million by 2050. Maricopa County includes 60.5% of the state's population and contains nine of the ten cities in Arizona with a population above 100,000.
  • The population of the Sun Corridor (Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima Counties) is approximately 5.56 million, which is 81.4% of the state's population.
  • Arizona's population is 6.84 million (July 1, 2016, estimate).
  • Since 1980, Maricopa County's population has been among the fastest growing in the nation. Average annual growth had slowed during the recession and has begun to pick up, increasing from 1.1% in 2012 to 1.5% growth in 2016. The county continues to show stronger annual growth than the state, which grew 1.3% from 2013 to 2016.

Population Growth

Date Maricopa County Population* Average Annual Growth Arizona Population* Average Annual Growth U.S. Population* Average Annual Growth
1980 1,509,000 4.50% 2,718,000 4.40% 226,542,000 1.10%
1990 2,122,000 3.50% 3,665,000 3.00% 248,710,000 0.90%
2000 3,072,000 3.80% 5,131,000 3.40% 281,422,000 1.20%
2010 3,817,000 2.20% 6,392,000 2.20% 308,746,000 1.00%
2011 3,843,000 0.50% 6,438,000 0.60% 311,722,000 0.60%
2012 3,885,000 1.10% 6,499,000 0.90% 314,112,000 0.80%
2013 3,945,000 1.50% 6,581,000 1.30% 316,498,000 0.80%
2014 4,009,000 1.60% 6,667,000 1.30% 318,857,000 0.70%
2015 4,076,000 1.70% 6,758,000 1.40% 321,419,000 0.80%
2016 4,137,000 1.50% 6,836,000 1.2% 323,128,000 0.50%
2020 4,481,000 2.00% 7,347,000 1.80% 334,503,000 0.90%
2030 5,280,000 1.70% 8,536,000 1.50% 359,402,000 0.70%
2040 6,031,000 1.30% 9,707,000 1.30% 380,219,000 0.60%
2050 6,698,000 1.10% 10,821,000 1.10% 398,328,000 0.50%

Arizona and Maricopa county estimates and projections from the Arizona State Demographer's Office; U.S. estimates and projections from Census Bureau. *Population rounded to nearest 1,000.

Employment

  • In December 2016, total non-farm employment for the Phoenix MSA was estimated at 2.012 million, which is 74% of employment in Arizona.
  • The average weekly wage in Maricopa County for the 2nd quarter of 2016 was $964, which is in the top third among large US counties.

Source: Arizona Labor Statistic/Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment statistics, https://laborstats.az.gov/current-employment-statistics

Land Ownership (MPO)

From Arizona State Land Department 2016

  • 29.4 percent of land ownership is private
  • 27 percent is U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • 12.4 percent is State Trust land
  • 12 percent is forest, park, or national monument
  • 10.7 percent is military
  • 8 percent is Indian Community
  • 0.5 percent is other public

Tax Statistics

  • Over $3.8 billion in sales tax revenue was collected in Maricopa County during FY 2016, a 3.8% increase from FY 2015.
  • The Phoenix MSA accounted for 72% of the total sales tax collected by county in FY 2016.
  • The Sun Corridor accounted for 85% of the total sales tax in the state for FY 2016.

FY 2015-2016 Sales Tax* Collection

Area Total Collections Change from FY 2015 Percent of State Total
Maricopa Co. $3,846,835,709 3.8% 69.2%
Phoenix MSA $3,999,952,237 3.8% 72.0%
Sun Corridor $4,722,566,568 3.8% 85.0%
Arizona $5,555,325,423 2.8% 100.0%

* Transaction Privilege and Severance Tax
Source: Arizona Department of Revenue 2016 Annual Report

Community Profiles