By Melissa Rosequist | YourValley
While Maricopa County makes national headlines for its population boom in recent years, the numbers in Scottsdale aren’t ticking upward as quickly as officials once thought.
The city of Scottsdale population was estimated to be nearly 260,000 going into the 2020 U.S. Census, however, the national count that takes place once a decade revealed a lower number. The official population of Scottsdale is 241,000.
Population changes are important to Arizona municipalities as it can impact community services, financial gains or losses and the overall health of a city.
In this week’s candidate Q&A, we ask Scottsdale’s seven City Council candidates if they think the slight decline in population is something to be worried about. Some say the decrease isn’t a cause for concern yet, while others are less optimistic as they look toward the future.
Read below to learn the perspectives of each candidate.
Next week, voters are invited to Scottsdale City Hall at 9 a.m. for an in-person candidate forumprior to the Aug. 2 primary election. Ballots will begin going out in early July.
Raoul Zubia
• The 2020 U.S. Census showed that Scottsdale’s population decreased from its original estimate of about 258,000 residents in 2019 to an actual count of 241,361. Is declining population a concern?
The most immediate concern about the slowing population growth is the decline in state-shared revenues paid to Scottsdale. Arizona state sales tax is distributed to cities and towns based on population so as other cities and towns grow more quickly, they represent a larger share of the state’s population, they get a larger share of state sales tax and Scottsdale’s share declines.
