A project of Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group (SAEDG) in partnership with Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) and community sponsors
Graham County's population as of Census 2020 was 38,533, up 3.5% from 2010. Graham County's population is expected to reach 41,015 in 2030 and 48,265 in 2060, according to projections by Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
See spreadsheets for county, city, town & place data.
UNEMPLOYMENT
The annual unemployment rate in Graham County in 2023 was 3.7%, up from 3.5% in 2022. City and town annual unemployment rates in 2023 were:
See spreadsheets, below, for the most recent monthly Graham County, city, and town labor force, employment, and unemployment data.
NONFARM PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT
The number of nonfarm jobs in Graham County was up by 375 in 2023 for job growth of 3.7% (based on average monthly job numbers). All the gains were in the private sector (375 jobs, 5.2%) while the number of overall government jobs was unchanged (with the gain of 25 federal jobs offset by the loss of 25 state and local government jobs). See spreadsheets, below, for the most recent monthly Graham County nonfarm payroll employment by industry/sector.
WAGES
The average annual wage in Graham County in 2023 was $55,021 ($26.45 hourly), which was 87.3% of the Arizona statewide average wage of $63,040 ($30.31 hourly) and 84.0% of the national average wage of $65,470 ($31.48 hourly). Graham County's average annual wage was up 8.9% from 2022 to 2023, compared to wage growth of 7.5% statewide and 5.8% nationally. See spreadsheets, below, for the most recent Graham County employment and wages (average hourly and annual, by occupation).
MAJOR INDUSTRY SALES
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
PERSONAL INCOME
For more info on Graham County's personal income and GDP, check out the county's BEA Regional Fact Sheet (BEARFACTS)
HOME SALES, PRICES & DAYS ON MARKET
For the most recent housing market data and trends (median listing home price, median listing home price per square foot, median sold home price, sale-to-list price ratio, median days on market, and more), select a geography:
NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION
In 2023, there were 159 building permits issued for new single-family homes in Graham County, up from 128 in 2022 but down from 177 and 174 in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
BANK DEPOSITS
In 2024, bank deposits in Graham County (as of June 30) were up 1.8% from the year prior, after increasing 0.1% in 2023, 10.3% in 2022, 3.4% in 2021, and 43.7% in 2020. The 2020 jump was the fastest rate of increase since 2006 and was helped along by economic stimulus payments and other COVID programs that year.
BANKRUPTCY FILINGS
In 2023, there were 28 bankruptcy filings in Graham County, up from 26 the year prior. Filings peaked at 62 in 2018 before falling steeply from 2019 through 2021, helped along by COVID programs in 2020 and 2021 including mortgage relief and the eviction moratorium. Filings then increased in 2022 and 2023 but remained below the 33 filings in 2019, the year prior to the pandemic.
VISITOR COUNTS
In the first six months of 2024 (January through June), visits to Roper Lake State Park in Graham County were down 3.8% from the same period the year prior. That followed a 34.1% annual jump in 2023 (after falling 11.2% in 2021 and 37.3% in 2022, following a strong annual increase of 21.7% in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic). Overall, annual visits in 2023 were down 9.1% from 2019, the year prior to the pandemic.
See spreadsheets, below, for annual Santa Cruz County national and state park visitor counts by attraction.
TRAVEL INDUSTRY IMPACTS
According to research by Dean Runyan Associates for Arizona Office of Tourism, Graham County and neighboring Greenlee County's combined travel industry (including business and leisure travel) generated $94.5 million in direct spending in 2023, up 0.9% from the year prior (that followed increases of 66.2% in 2021 and 16.3% in 2022, rebounding from a 43.0% COVID-related drop in 2020, the first year of the pandemic). Travel-related direct spending in 2023 was at a record high (with records back to 1998, not adjusted for inflation). The Graham and Greenlee county travel industry supported 960.3 jobs in the region in 2023 (up 3.6% from the year prior) with household earnings of $21.5 million (up 11.3% from 2022), according to the study.
2022 Census of Agriculture
For 2022 Census of Agriculture summary highlights for Arizona and all 15 counties, click here.
A project of Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group (SAEDG) in partnership with Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) and community sponsors
SAEDG is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation and an Arizona State Data Center Affiliate
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