Gila County's population as of Census 2020 was 53,272, down 0.6% from 2010. Gila County's population is expected to reach 56,044 in 2030 before declining to 54,931 in 2060, according to projections by Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Gila County's annual unemployment rate in 2021 was 5.0% (down from 7.5% in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic). At the peak of COVID business closures, the unemployment rate in Gila County hit a high of 12.1% in April 2020. Gila County’s unemployment rate of 5.0% in 2021 was higher than the statewide rate of 4.9% but lower than the nationwide rate of 5.3%.
NONFARM PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT: Gila County gained 125 jobs in 2022 for annual job growth of 0.9% (based on average monthly job numbers). All the job gains were in the private sector (1.3%), while government-sector jobs stabilized. In the private sector, the number of service jobs grew by 125 (1.9%) while goods-producing job numbers held steady.
WAGES: The average annual wage in Gila County in 2021 was $47,535 ($22.85 hourly), which was 86% of the Arizona statewide average wage of $55,170 ($26.53 hourly) and 82% of the national average wage of $58,260 ($28.01 hourly). Gila County's average wage in 2021 was up 0.7% from 2020.
PERSONAL INCOME: In 2021, Gila County had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $48,752. This PCPI ranked 7th in the state and was 87.9% of the state average, $55,487, and 76% of the national average, $64,143. The 2021 PCPI reflected an increase of 7.3% from 2020. The 2020–2021 state change was 6% and the national change was 7.3%. In 2011, the PCPI of Gila County was $32,934 and ranked 5th in the state. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate of PCPI was 4%. The compound annual growth rate for the state was 4.6% and for the nation was 4.1%.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: In 2021, Gila County produced 2,147,803 in current-dollar total GDP*. This GDP ranked 13th in the state and accounted for 0.5% of the state total. In 2011, the total GDP of Gila County was 2,271,135 and ranked 11th in the state. In 2021, Gila County real GDP grew 6.7%; the 2020–2021 state change was 6.3%. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate for Gila County real GDP was -1.8%; the compound annual growth rate for the state was 2.7%.
*GDP estimates are in thousands of dollars.
For more info on Gila County's personal income and GDP, check out the county's BEA Regional Fact Sheet (BEARFACTS)
MAJOR INDUSTRY SALES: In 2022, Gila County's retail sales were up 5.8%, following an 8.9% increase in 2021. Gila County's restaurant & bar sales were up 4.6% in 2022, after growing 16.8% in 2021. Hotel/motel receipts were up 4.3% in 2022, after record-high gains of 23.3%, 22.1%, and 33.8% in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively.
BANK DEPOSITS: In 2022, bank deposits in Gila County (as of June 30) were up 8.4% from a year prior. That followed growth of 17.4% and 3.9% in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Growth in 2020 was the fastest on record (with records back to 1994). Deposits in recent years were helped along by COVID stimulus payments and programs.
HOME PRICES & DAYS ON MARKET: In March 2022, the median price of homes sold in Gila County was $475,000, according to National Association of Realtors. That was up 35.7% from March 2021. The median days on market in March was 49, down from 54 in March 2021. As of May 2022, there were 682 homes listed for sale in Gila County, up from 671 in June 2021. (Data in this section updated annually; for the most recent monthly data, visit Gila County, AZ Real Estate Market.)
NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION: In 2021, permits were issued for 188 new single-family homes in Gila County, up from 181 in 2020. New single-family residential permits in 2021 were at their highest level since 2005. For the most recent monthly data, click here.
Gila New Residential Construction (building permits) (1993-current) (xlsx)
DownloadIn 2021, visits to Tonto National Monument in Gila County were up 30.6%, following a COVID-related decline of 14.2% in 2020. Visits to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park were up 64.5% in 2021, after a 25.1% drop in 2020.
According to research by Dean Runyan Associates for Arizona Office of Tourism, Gila County's travel industry (including business and leisure travel) generated $349.5 million in direct spending in 2021, up 21.6% following a COVID-related decline of 10.5% in 2020. Gila County's travel industry supported 2,900 jobs countywide in 2021 (up 5% after falling 5.2% the year prior) with associated household earnings of $90 million (up 6.4% following a 0.9% drop the previous year).