Apache County's population as of Census 2020 was was 66,021, down 7.7% from 2010 (the second largest population decline of Arizona's 15 counties). Apache County's population is expected to reach 68,133 in 2030 before falling to 55,690 in 2060, according to projections by Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Apache County's annual unemployment rate in 2022 was 7.7%, down from 9.2% in 2021 and 12.7% in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic.
NONFARM PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT: Apache County lost 100 jobs in 2022 for annual job growth of -0.6%. The private sector added 75 jobs (1.0%) while the government sector lost 175 jobs (-1.8%). In the private sector, goods-producing jobs were down by 25 (-3.1%) while service jobs grew by 100 (1.5%).
WAGES: The average annual wage in Apache County in 2022 was $56,064 ($26.95 hourly), which was 95.6% of the Arizona statewide average wage of $58,620 ($28.18 hourly) and 90.6% of the national average wage of $61,900 ($29.76 hourly). Apache County's average wage in 2022 was up 8.0% from 2021.
PERSONAL INCOME: In 2021, Apache County had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $45,671. This PCPI ranked 10th in the state and was 82.3% of the state average, $55,487, and 71.2% of the national average, $64,143. The 2021 PCPI reflected an increase of 8.2% from 2020. The 2020–2021 state change was 6% and the national change was 7.3%. In 2011, the PCPI of Apache County was $27,512 and ranked 11th in the state. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate of PCPI was 5.2%. The compound annual growth rate for the state was 4.6% and for the nation was 4.1%.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: In 2021, Apache County produced 2,720,216 in current-dollar total GDP*. This GDP ranked 10th in the state and accounted for 0.6% of the state total. In 2011, the total GDP of Apache County was 2,711,434 and ranked 10th in the state. In 2021, Apache County real GDP grew 0.8%; the 2020–2021 state change was 6.3%. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate for Apache County real GDP was -2.3%; the compound annual growth rate for the state was 2.7%.
*GDP estimates are in thousands of dollars.
For more info on Apache County's personal income and GDP, check out the county's BEA Regional Fact Sheet (BEARFACTS)
MAJOR INDUSTRY SALES: In 2022, Apache County's retail sales were up 17.0%, following growth of 27.0% in 2021. Apache County's restaurant & bar sales fell 7.0% in 2022 following record-high growth of 41.1% in 2021 (with records back to 2009). Hotel/motel receipts were down less than 0.1% in 2022 following record-high growth of 46.2% in 2021.
BANK DEPOSITS: In 2022, bank deposits in Apache County (as of June 30) were up 23.6% from 2021. The year 2022 was the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth in bank deposits, with deposits totaling $391.6 million. Apache County bank deposits nearly tripled from 2016 to 2022. Deposits in recent years were helped along by COVID stimulus payments and programs.
HOME PRICES & DAYS ON MARKET: In March 2023, the median listing price of homes for sale in Apache County was $375,000, according to National Association of Realtors. That was up 16.3% from March 2022. The median days on market as of January 2023 was 86, down from 99 a year prior. As of May 2023, there were 858 homes listed for sale in Apache County, up from 758 in May 2022. (Data in this section updated annually; for the most recent monthly data, visit Apache County, AZ Real Estate Market.)
NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION: In 2022, there were 142 building permits issued for new homes in Apache County, up from 125 in 2021 and 82 in 2020.
Apache New Residential Construction (building permits) (2020-current) (xlsx)
DownloadAccording to research by Dean Runyan Associates for Arizona Office of Tourism, Apache County's travel industry (including business and leisure travel) generated $149.2 million in direct spending countywide in 2022, up 1.7% from 2021 (the year 2021 saw a 53.5% increase, rebounding from a 22.2% COVID-related drop in 2020, the first year of the pandemic). Travel-related direct spending in 2022 was at a record high (with records back to 1998, not adjusted for inflation). Apache County's travel industry supported 1,400 jobs countywide in 2022 (up 3.8% from the year prior) with household earnings of $38.2 million (up 7.0% from 2021), according to the study.