Maricopa County's population as of Census 2020 was 4,420,568, up 15.8% from 2010 (the fastest population growth of Arizona's 15 counties). As Arizona's largest county, Maricopa accounted for 80% of the statewide population growth from 2010 to 2020. Maricopa County's population is expected to reach 5,200,391 in 2030 and 6,529,107 in 2060, according to projections by Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Maricopa County's annual unemployment rate in 2021 was 4.5% (down from 7.2% in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic). At the peak of COVID business closures, the unemployment rate in Maricopa County hit a high of 12.9% in April 2020. Maricopa County’s unemployment rate of 4.5% in 2021 was lower than the statewide rate of 4.9% and the nationwide rate of 5.3%.
NONFARM PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT: Maricopa County gained 90,000 jobs in 2022 for annual job growth of 4.2% (based on average monthly job numbers). The private sector added 85,600 jobs (4.4%) and the government sector grew by 4,400 jobs (2.0%). In the private sector, goods-producing jobs were up by 13,500 (5.0%) while service jobs grew by 72,100 (4.4%).
WAGES: The average annual wage in Maricopa County in 2021 was $56,842 ($27.33 hourly), which was 103% of the Arizona statewide average wage of $55,170 ($26.53 hourly) and 98% of the national average wage of $58,260 ($28.01 hourly). Maricopa County's average wage in 2021 was up 3.0% from 2020.
PERSONAL INCOME: In 2021, Maricopa County had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $59,759. This PCPI ranked 1st in the state and was 107.7% of the state average, $55,487, and 93.2% of the national average, $64,143. The 2021 PCPI reflected an increase of 6.2% from 2020. The 2020–2021 state change was 6% and the national change was 7.3%. In 2011, the PCPI of Maricopa County was $37,930 and ranked 1st in the state. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate of PCPI was 4.7%. The compound annual growth rate for the state was 4.6% and for the nation was 4.1%.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: In 2021, Maricopa County produced 304,496,668 in current-dollar total GDP*. This GDP ranked 1st in the state and accounted for 72.5% of the state total. In 2011, the total GDP of Maricopa County was 178,683,630 and ranked 1st in the state. In 2021, Maricopa County real GDP grew 6.9%; the 2020–2021 state change was 6.3%. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate for Maricopa County real GDP was 3.3%; the compound annual growth rate for the state was 2.7%.
*GDP estimates are in thousands of dollars.
For more info on Maricopa County's personal income and GDP, check out the county's BEA Regional Fact Sheet (BEARFACTS)
MAJOR INDUSTRY SALES: In 2022, Maricopa County's retail sales were up 7.8%, following record-high growth of 20.3% in 2021 (with records back to 2009). Restaurant & bar sales were up 19.9% in 2022, after rebounding 30.0% in 2021 from the COVID-related drop of 15% the year prior. Hotel/motel receipts grew at a record-high rate of 44.8% in 2022, following a 39.3% rebound in 2021 from the COVID-related drop of 32.3% in 2020.
BANK DEPOSITS: In 2022, bank deposits in Maricopa County (as of June 30) were up 12.9% from 2021. That follows strong growth of 22.4% and 19.7% in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Maricopa County bank deposits nearly doubled from 2017 to 2022. 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 Maricopa County was $490,000, according to National Association of Realtors. That was up 28.9% from March 2021. The median days on market in March was 36, down from 38 in March 2021. As of May 2022, there were 16,658 homes listed for sale in Maricopa County, down from 16,697 in June 2021. (Data in this section updated annually; for the most recent monthly data, visit Maricopa County, AZ Real Estate Market.)
NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION: In 2021, there were 26,942 permits issued for new single-family homes in Maricopa County, up 5.6% from 2020. Total permits (single- and multi-family units) in 2021 were 42,123, up 0.5% from 41,895 in 2020. For the most recent monthly data, click here.
Maricopa New Residential Construction (building permits) (2003-current) (xlsx)
DownloadAccording to research by Dean Runyan Associates for Arizona Office of Tourism, Maricopa County's travel industry (including business and leisure travel) generated $14 billion in direct spending in 2021, up 57.9% after a COVID-related decline of 43.9% in 2020. Maricopa County's travel industry supported 88,200 jobs countywide in 2021 (up 3.2% after falling 18.2% the year prior) with associated household earnings of $4.3 billion (up 4.9% following a 13.9% drop the previous year).