By Jessica Boehm | Axios
Arizona’s population has skyrocketed over the past decade — but some of the highest rates of growth have occurred outside of our major metropolitans, per an Axios analysis of the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
The big picture: Maricopa County has been heralded as one of the country’s fastest-growing counties for adding nearly half a million people in the past decade — but population estimates show some of Arizona’s previously rural counties are also growing at an exceptionally fast pace.
By the numbers: The Valley’s closest neighbor, Pinal County, grew 7%, increasing from a five-year average of about 420,000 in 2014-2018 to about 449,000 in 2019-2023.
- Yavapai County, which borders Maricopa County to the north, saw its population increase by 7.6% over that period.
Zoom in: Pinal County, once wholly reliant on agriculture and mining, has become a hotbed of industrial development, with manufacturers like Lucid Motors and Nikola Corp. moving operations there in the past few years.
- Pinal County Supervisor Stephen Miller, who moved to Casa Grande more than 40 years ago, said the county has two freeways, a railroad and a lot of relatively affordable land — all valuable assets for big manufacturing companies.
- As Maricopa County runs out of room to sprawl, Pinal will likely continue to be a popular destination for big-footprint employers.
