Pima County

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Population & demographics

POPULATION ESTIMATES

In 2025, Pima County’s estimated population was 1.1 million (1,093,761), up 28.9% since 2000 and 3.4% from 2021 to 2025, according to estimates by Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Growth was broad-based across incorporated and unincorporated areas.
Tucson’s estimated population in 2025 was 557,901, an increase of 14.0% since 2000 and 2.2% from 2021 to 2025. The city maintained modest, sustained gains.
Marana reached 66,736 in 2025, up 375.2% since 2000 and 21.0% from 2021 to 2025, underscoring its role as a leading growth hub.
Sahuarita’s estimated population was 38,421 in 2025, up 869.9% since 2000 and 8.0% from 2021 to 2025, reflecting continued suburban development and in-migration.
Oro Valley stood at 48,967 in 2025, a 61.9% increase since 2000 and 1.5% from 2021 to 2025. Recent changes were incremental following strong early-2000s growth.
Unincorporated Pima County was 377,201 in 2025, up 23.5% since 2000 and 2.3% from 2021 to 2025, continuing steady additions alongside municipal growth.
South Tucson remained the exception, with 4,535 residents in 2025, down 17.5% since 2000 and 1.5% from 2021 to 2025. Despite countywide gains, its long-run decline persisted.

POPULATION PROJECTIONS

Pima County is expected to grow from 1.09 million in 2025 to 1.13 million in 2030 (+3.3%) and reach 1.31 million by 2060 (+19.3%), according to OEO projections. Tucson will increase from 557,901 in 2025 to 571,827 in 2030 (+2.5%) and 631,112 in 2060 (+13.1%). Unincorporated Pima County will expand from 377,201 in 2025 to 387,554 in 2030 (+2.7%) and 440,256 in 2060 (+16.7%).
Marana stands out as the fastest-growing community, rising from 66,736 in 2025 to 70,024 in 2030 (+4.9%) and soaring to 116,239 in 2060 (+74.2%). Sahuarita will also see strong growth, moving from 38,421 in 2025 to 41,837 in 2030 (+8.9%) and 57,156 in 2060 (+48.8%). Oro Valley will grow moderately, from 48,967 in 2025 to 53,573 in 2030 (+9.4%) and 55,850 in 2060 (+14.1%). South Tucson will remain stable, holding at 4,535 in 2025 and 4,599 in both 2030 and 2060 (+1.4%).
Among census-designated places, Drexel Heights will grow from 28,360 in 2025 to 29,197 in 2030 (+3.0%) and 34,219 in 2060 (+20.7%). Green Valley will increase from 22,701 in 2025 to 23,064 in 2030 (+1.6%) and 25,243 in 2060 (+11.2%). Casas Adobes, Catalina Foothills, and Flowing Wells are expected to remain mostly stable, with little or no population change.
Overall, Pima County’s story is one of steady, broad-based growth, with Marana and Sahuarita leading the way, while many established communities remain stable.

See downloadable spreadsheets below for current and historical county, city, town & place population counts, estimates, and projections.

Labor market

Labor Force & Unemployment

In April 2026, Pima County had an unemployment rate of 4.4% (unadjusted), with approximately 484,400 in the civilian labor force, 463,100 employed, and 21,300 unemployed. The first four months of 2026 show steady improvement, with unemployment declining each month from 5.1% in January to 4.4% in April—a 0.7 percentage point drop representing about 4,200 fewer unemployed residents.
The county's labor market has undergone a dramatic transformation since the pandemic shock of spring 2020, when unemployment spiked to 13.0% in April of that year. The recovery was swift and sustained, with the unemployment rate falling steadily through 2021 and reaching post-pandemic lows near 2.8% by April 2024—the tightest labor market conditions so far in the 2020s.
Since those historic lows, unemployment has drifted modestly higher, settling into a range between 4% and 5% through 2025 and into early 2026. This slight loosening reflects a normalization from exceptionally tight conditions rather than labor market weakness. The civilian labor force has grown substantially over the period, expanding from roughly 470,000 in early 2020 to approximately 500,000 by 2025, indicating continued population and economic growth in the Tucson metropolitan area.
Seasonal patterns remain consistent throughout the data, with unemployment typically peaking in summer months (July-August) and reaching annual lows in late fall or early spring. The April 2026 rate of 4.4% aligns with this seasonal pattern and remains well below pre-pandemic norms, suggesting the labor market continues to operate in healthy territory despite the modest uptick from 2024's exceptional lows.
Tucson, the region's economic hub with over 260,000 workers, has experienced a dramatic recovery since the pandemic. Unemployment peaked at 13.7% in April 2020 during the initial COVID-19 shock, then steadily declined to an annual average of 3.7% in 2023-2024. However, rates have drifted upward in 2025-2026, reaching 5.2% in January 2026 before improving to 4.4% by April. The current trajectory shows gradual improvement, though rates remain elevated compared to the 2022-2024 lows.
Marana has consistently been the strongest performer in the Tucson metro area. After briefly spiking to 10.7% in April 2020, the town quickly recovered to an annual average of just 2.9% from 2022-2024—the lowest in the region. While 2025-2026 has seen modest increases (currently 3.8% in April 2026), Marana continues to outperform its neighbors with its diversified employment base of nearly 28,000 workers.
Oro Valley follows a similar pattern to Tucson proper. The affluent suburb saw unemployment reach 12.1% in April 2020, then recovered to average around 3.5% in 2023-2024. The current 4.5% rate (April 2026) represents a slight uptick from recent lows but continues the steady improvement seen since January's 5.0%. With approximately 20,000 in its labor force, Oro Valley maintains relatively stable employment conditions.
Sahuarita, the smallest of the five communities at roughly 15,000 workers, has demonstrated resilience throughout the period. After a 10.4% peak in April 2020, the town achieved its best performance in 2023 with a 3.3% annual average. Current rates have risen modestly to 4.4% in April 2026, down from 4.8% in January, following the broader regional improvement trend.
South Tucson faces the most persistent employment challenges but has shown meaningful progress. Unemployment reached a staggering 21.2% in April 2020—the highest in the region—before gradually recovering to average 6.5-6.7% from 2022-2024. The small community (~1,600 workers) saw rates climb again in 2025-2026, reaching 9.0% in January 2026, but has since improved to 7.9% by April. While still roughly double the rate of neighboring Marana, South Tucson's trajectory remains positive.
Overall Regional Trend: All five cities experienced severe pandemic-related unemployment spikes in April 2020, followed by strong recoveries through 2021-2022. The 2022-2024 period represented peak employment strength across the region. A modest upward drift in unemployment began in late 2024 and continued into early 2026, but all five cities show improving conditions through the first four months of 2026, suggesting stabilization of regional labor markets.

Nonfarm Payroll Employment

Pima County’s nonfarm employment averaged 405,000 in 2025, up from 397,500 in 2024, a gain of 7,500 jobs (1.9%). Growth was concentrated in service-providing industries (+9,200 jobs, +2.7%), while goods-producing employment increased just 300 jobs (0.6%) and government employment was essentially unchanged (-0.1%).
Private employment in Pima County averaged 326,800 in 2025, up 7,500 jobs (2.3%) from 2024. Key gains came from education and health services (+1,600 jobs, +2.2%), leisure and hospitality (+1,600, +3.6%), and professional and business services (+1,000, +2.1%), reflecting continued post-pandemic expansion.
In the first four months of 2026, Pima County’s nonfarm employment averaged about 406,000, compared to roughly 408,700 during the same period in 2025, a decline of about 2,700 jobs (-0.7%). This indicates a slight softening in overall employment compared to a year earlier.
Private employment averaged about 327,000 in the first four months of 2026, down slightly from about 328,000 in the same period of 2025 (-1,000 jobs, -0.3%). Goods-producing employment averaged roughly 51,600, compared to about 52,400 a year earlier, a decline of around 800 jobs (-1.5%).
Service-providing employment averaged approximately 354,400 in early 2026, down from about 356,300 in the same period of 2025 (-1,900 jobs, -0.5%). Within private services, gains in professional and business services and education and health services were offset by declines in leisure and hospitality and trade-related sectors.
Government employment averaged about 79,000 in the first four months of 2026, compared to roughly 80,700 during the same period in 2025, a decrease of about 1,700 jobs (-2.1%). Overall, Pima County shows solid growth in 2025 followed by modest year-over-year declines in early 2026, with ongoing weakness in goods-producing and government sectors.

Wages

The median annual wage for all occupations in Pima County was $47,758 in 2025, reflecting continued upward momentum in worker compensation. Compared to 2024, median wages increased by 2.8%, representing a more moderate pace of growth than the prior two years but still indicative of sustained wage improvement. Looking at the longer-term trend across the 2020s, median wages rose by 22.8% since 2020, demonstrating substantial cumulative growth over the half-decade.
The wage trajectory revealed distinct phases of recovery and expansion throughout the 2020s. After a brief dip of 2.2% between 2020 and 2021, wages rebounded sharply with an 11.5% surge in 2022, marking the strongest annual gain of the period. Growth continued at a robust 6.0% pace in 2023 before moderating to 3.2% in 2024 and settling at 2.8% in 2025. This deceleration pattern suggested that the post-pandemic wage correction had largely run its course, with compensation levels stabilizing at a new, higher baseline.
Among the highest-paid occupational groups, Management Occupations led all sectors with a median wage of $100,781 in 2025, up 14.3% from 2020 and essentially flat year-over-year at just 0.2% growth. Computer and Mathematical Occupations followed at $97,562, reflecting 19.3% growth over the half-decade. Architecture and Engineering ($96,696) and Legal Occupations ($96,189) rounded out the top tier, with Legal posting the most dramatic gains—up 50.1% since 2020 and 17.2% from 2024 alone.
In the middle of the wage distribution, Business and Financial Operations Occupations earned a median of $74,317 in 2025, up 23.2% over the 2020s. Protective Service Occupations came in at $52,897, representing 24.7% growth since 2020. Educational Instruction and Library Occupations ($49,169) grew more modestly at 15.9%, while Community and Social Service Occupations ($48,887) posted 21.5% gains across the period.
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations remained the lowest-paid category at $34,987 in 2025, yet wages rose 33.3% over the period—among the highest percentage gains of any sector. Personal Care and Service Occupations ($36,347) increased 27.3%, and Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance ($36,236) grew 26.9%. This pattern indicated that lower-wage industries experienced some of the strongest relative wage pressures during the 2020s, likely driven by labor shortages and minimum wage pressures.
Several notable trends emerged across the occupational landscape. Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations experienced the most dramatic wage appreciation among all groups, climbing 34.6% to reach $78,299 in 2025. Transportation and Material Moving also saw robust growth of 32.9%. Meanwhile, Architecture and Engineering was the only major group to experience a year-over-year decline, falling 3.7% between 2024 and 2025 despite strong long-term growth of 21.6% over the 2020s.
Across the first half of the 2020s, workers in Pima County experienced a cumulative wage gain of nearly $8,900 in median annual earnings, underscoring the meaningful compensation improvements delivered by the local labor market.

Major industry sales

RETAIL, RESTAURANT & BAR, AND HOTEL/MOTEL/ACCOMMODATIONS

In 2025, Pima County's retail sales were up 0.8%, following growth of 16.6% in 2021, 5.9% in 2022, 3.3% in 2023, and 0.3% in 2024. Pima County retail sales were at a record high in 2025 (with records back to 2009).
Restaurant & bar sales in Pima County were up 1.1% in 2025 after increasing 23.8% in 2021, 15.9% in 2022, 7.9% in 2023, and 1.8% in 2024 (following a COVID-related drop of 14.3% in 2020, the first year of the pandemic). Pima County restaurant & bar sales were at a record high in 2025.
Pima County's hotel/motel receipts were down 3.2% in 2025 after gains of 35.3% in 2021, 37.6% in 2022, 5.1% in 2023, and 3.1% in 2024 (after falling 33.0% in 2020 due to the pandemic). Pima County lodging receipts were at a record high in 2024 before declining in 2025.
Growth rates are not adjusted for inflation; annual sales are based on tax processing month, not sales month.

See downloadable spreadsheets, below, for current and historical major industry sales (retail, restaurant & bar, and hotel/motel).

Gross domestic product (GDP) & personal income

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

In 2024, Pima County produced $66.71 billion in current-dollar total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the total value of all goods and services produced within the county. This GDP ranked 2nd in the state (of Arizona’s 15 counties) and accounted for 11.7% of the state total. Back in 2014, the total GDP of Pima County was $37.62 billion and ranked 2nd in the state.
In 2024, Pima County real GDP grew 2.3%; the 2023–2024 state change was 4.5%. The 2014–2024 compound annual growth rate for Pima County real GDP was 2.9%; the compound annual growth rate for the state was 4.0%.

PERSONAL INCOME

In 2024, Pima County had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $60,425. This PCPI ranked 4th of Arizona’s 15 counties and was 91.8% of the state average, $65,798, and 82.5% of the national average, $73,204. The 2024 PCPI reflected an increase of 3.2% from 2023. The 2023–2024 state change was 4.4% and the national change was 4.6%.
Back in 2014, the PCPI of Pima County was $37,431 and ranked 3rd of the state’s 15 counties. The 2014–2024 compound annual growth rate of PCPI was 4.9%. The compound annual growth rate for the state was 5.6% and for the nation was 4.7%.

See downloadable spreadsheets below for current and historical GDP and personal income data.

For more info on Pima County's personal income and GDP, check out the county's BEA Regional Fact Sheet (BEARFACTS)

Real estate & new home construction

HOME 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 2024, there were 4,150 building permits issued for new single-family residential homes in Pima County, up 12.5% from the year prior. That followed annual declines of 27.0% and 1.3% in 2022 and 2023, respectively (in 2021, new single-family home permits in Pima County totaled 5,116, the most since 2006). The annual average SFR permit value in 2024 was $354,600 (does not include land), up 2.9% from 2023. (For the most recent monthly data, click here.)

See downloadable spreadsheets below for current and historical annual building permit data.

Bank deposits & bankruptcy filings

BANK DEPOSITS

Over the past decade, Pima County bank deposits moved from steady, moderate gains into a surge and then a pullback. From 2015 to 2019, deposits rose gradually from about $13.8B to $15.6B (average growth near 3% per year). A sharp upswing followed: 2020 jumped roughly 20% to $18.7B, then 2021 and 2022 added 10.0% and 11.7%, pushing deposits to a peak near $23.0B. Momentum reversed in 2023 (-11.2%) and 2024 (-5.9%), bringing the level down to about $19.2B. Despite the two-year contraction (~16% from the 2022 peak), deposits in 2024 remained well above pre-2020 levels (roughly +23% versus 2019), yielding a five‑year compound pace near 4% per year. Overall, recent years show heightened volatility: modest pre-2020 growth, a pronounced 2020–2022 expansion, and a subsequent cooling through 2024.

BANKRUPTCY FILINGS

In 2025, there were 1,797 bankruptcy filings in Pima County. After a period of improvement, the recent trend shows a concerning increase. Filings dropped sharply in 2020 (-29.1%) and continued to decline through 2022, reaching a low of 1,331. This decline suggested fewer people and businesses were facing severe financial hardship. However, since 2023, the number of bankruptcies has started to climb again: 1,427 in 2023 (+7.2%), 1,663 in 2024 (+16.5%), and 1,797 in 2025 (+8.1%). This upward trend is troubling, as it indicates that more residents and companies are struggling to meet their financial obligations. Although filings remain below pre-pandemic levels (2,481 in 2019), the recent increases suggest worsening economic conditions.

Cross-border economy

BORDER CROSSINGS

At the Lukeville port of entry in Pima County, more people are walking across the border than ever before. In 2025, over 82,800 pedestrians crossed into the United States, up from about 76,600 in 2024. This number has been steadily rising each year. Lukeville also sees a lot of people coming in cars. In 2025, about 911,700 passengers arrived by personal vehicle. While this is a little less than 2024, it’s still a very high number compared to previous years.
The Sasabe port of entry is much quieter. In 2025, only 443 people walked across, which is a small increase from 406 in 2024, but still very low overall. For people arriving by car, Sasabe saw about 39,800 passengers in 2025. This is a big jump from 16,700 in 2024, but still much less than Lukeville.
In summary, Lukeville is the main place where people cross the border in Pima County, and the numbers keep going up, especially for those walking. Sasabe remains a smaller crossing point, with far fewer people, though 2025 saw a slight increase. These trends show that Lukeville is becoming more popular for border crossings, while Sasabe stays quiet.

See downloadable spreadsheets below for current and historical border crossing data for bus passengers, buses, pedestrians, personal vehicle passengers, personal vehicles, truck containers [empty and loaded], and trucks at the Lukeville and Sasabe ports of entry.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

In 2024, the value of international trade (imports and exports) passing through Pima County's Lukeville and Sasabe ports of entry totaled $5.5 million, down 35.1% from 2023. Exports totaled $3 million, down 47.9%, while imports came in at $2.5 million, down 7.9%.
In 2024, the Sasabe port was closed to commercial traffic with the exception of the month of April, which saw the port open for exports only. As a result, the vast majority of exports and all imports through Pima County's land ports in 2024 entered through Lukeville.

See downloadable spreadsheets below for current and historical international trade data (imports, exports, and total trade) for the Lukeville and Sasabe ports of entry.

Tourism visitor counts & travel industry impacts

VISITOR COUNTS

In 2024, visits to Catalina State Park in Pima County totaled 281,405, up 4.0% from the year prior, according to data from Arizona Office of Tourism. That was after increasing 3.3% in 2023 (following an annual decline of 0.3% in 2022). In 2024, visits to Catalina State Park were up 10.4% from 2019, the year prior to the COVID pandemic.
Visits to Pima County’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument totaled 182,612 in 2024, down 2.1% from the year prior (after increasing 40.0% in 2023 following annual declines of 30.1% in 2022, 0.3% in 2021, and 27.2% in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic). Visits in 2024 were down 30.6% from 2019.
Visits to Saguaro National Park in Pima County totaled 915,339 in 2024, down 9.5% from the year prior (after an annual increase of 11.3% in 2023 and a 15.9% drop in 2022; that followed a 41.7% jump in 2021, rebounding from a COVID-related decline of 25.3% in 2020). Overall, annual visits in 2024 were down 10.3% from 2019, the year prior to the pandemic.

See downloadable spreadsheets below for annual Pima County national and state park visitor counts by attraction. For the most recent monthly data click here.

TRAVEL INDUSTRY IMPACTS

Pima County's travel industry (including business and leisure travel) generated $3.5 billion in direct spending countywide in 2024, according to research by Dean Runyan Associates for Arizona Office of Tourism. That was up 0.1% from the year prior (that followed increases of 73.2% in 2021, 17.6% in 2022, and 5.6% in 2023, rebounding from a 49.5% COVID-related drop in 2020, the first year of the pandemic).
Travel-related direct spending in 2024 was at a record high (with records back to 1998, not adjusted for inflation).
Pima County's travel industry supported 22,800 jobs countywide in 2024 (down 0.8% from the year prior) with household earnings of $920.4 million (up 2.6% from 2023), according to the study.

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