Yuma County's population as of Census 2020 was 203,881, up 4.2% from 2010. Yuma County's population is expected to reach 233,060 in 2030 and 310,712 in 2060, according to projections by Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Yuma County's annual unemployment rate in 2022 was 12.5%, down from 13.1% in 2021 and 17.1% in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic.
NONFARM PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT: Yuma County gained 2,300 jobs in 2022 for annual job growth of 4.0% (based on average monthly job numbers). The private sector added 2,000 jobs (4.6%) and the government sector increased by 300 jobs (2.1%). In the private sector, goods-producing job numbers grew by 300 (4.9%) while service jobs increased by 1,700 (4.5%).
WAGES: The average annual wage in Yuma County in 2022 was $48,497 ($23.32 hourly), which was 82.7% of the Arizona statewide average wage of $58,620 ($28.18 hourly) and 78.3% of the national average wage of $61,900 ($29.76 hourly). Yuma County's average wage in 2022 was up 5.1% from 2021.
PERSONAL INCOME: In 2021, Yuma County had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $44,299. This PCPI ranked 11th in the state and was 79.8% of the state average, $55,487, and 69.1% of the national average, $64,143. The 2021 PCPI reflected an increase of 3.7% from 2020. The 2020–2021 state change was 6% and the national change was 7.3%. In 2011, the PCPI of Yuma County was $28,561 and ranked 10th in the state. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate of PCPI was 4.5%. The compound annual growth rate for the state was 4.6% and for the nation was 4.1%.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: In 2021, Yuma County produced 8,977,170 in current-dollar total GDP*. This GDP ranked 4th in the state and accounted for 2.1% of the state total. In 2011, the total GDP of Yuma County was 6,321,752 and ranked 5th in the state. In 2021, Yuma County real GDP fell 0.4%; the 2020–2021 state change was 6.3%. The 2011–2021 compound annual growth rate for Yuma County real GDP was 1.5%; the compound annual growth rate for the state was 2.7%.
*GDP estimates are in thousands of dollars.
For more info on Yuma County's personal income and GDP, check out the county's BEA Regional Fact Sheet (BEARFACTS)
MAJOR INDUSTRY SALES: In 2022, Yuma County's retail sales were up 9.9%, after record-high growth of 13.0% in 2021 (with records back to 2009). Yuma County's restaurant & bar sales were up 13.0% in 2022, following a record-high gain of 23.8% in 2021. Hotel/motel receipts were up 18.8% in 2022, after a record-high jump of 25.7% the year prior.
BANK DEPOSITS: In 2022, bank deposits in Yuma County (as of June 30) were up 6.8% from 2021. That follows strong gains of 23.4% and 17.4% in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Those two years were the fastest rates of growth 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 2023, the median price of homes sold in Yuma County was $275,000, according to National Association of Realtors. That was down 5.2% from March 2022. The median days on market in March was 59, up from 52 in March 2022. As of May 2023, there were 770 homes listed for sale in Yuma County, up from 739 in May 2022. (Data in this section updated annually; for the most recently monthly data, visit Yuma County, AZ Real Estate Market.)
NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION: In 2022, there were 728 building permits issued for new single-family homes in Yuma County, down 33.6% from the year prior (following a 7.2% decline in 2021). The year 2022 was the third consecutive year of decline with new SFR permits at their lowest level since 2014. The average permit value in 2022 was $167,901, down 5.6% from the year prior. For the most recent monthly data, click here.
Yuma New Residential Construction (building permits & valuation) (1995-current) (xlsx)
DownloadAccording to research by Dean Runyan Associates for Arizona Office of Tourism, Yuma County's travel industry (including business and leisure travel) generated $750.5 million in direct spending countywide in 2022, up 12.8% from 2021 (the year 2021 saw a 42.6% increase, rebounding from a 29.7% 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). Yuma County's travel industry supported 6,300 jobs countywide in 2022 (up 7.8% from the year prior) with household earnings of $202.1 million (up 13.2% from 2021), according to the study.
BORDER CROSSINGS: In 2022, pedestrian border crossings from Mexico into the US at the San Luis port of entry in Yuma County were up 9.7% on the heels of a 3% increase in 2021 (that followed a 28% drop in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic). Despite the increases, the number of pedestrian crossers in 2022 remained considerably below pre-COVID levels. The number of personal vehicle passengers was up 22.7% in 2022, after a 29.5% rebound in 2021 (that followed a 31.7% drop in 2020). With the increases, vehicle passenger border crossings at the San Luis port in 2022 were in line with those from pre-COVID years.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE: In 2022, the value of international trade (imports and exports) passing through Yuma County's San Luis port of entry was $1.7 billion, up 0.4% from 2021 (that followed a 76.4% increase in 2021). Exports in 2022 totaled $625.8 million (down 22.1%) while imports came in at $1.1 billion (up 20.7%).