Arizona

Arizona by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Arizona is the 6th largest state in terms of land area, with a population of 7.3 million according to 2022 estimates. 
• Maricopa County is home to around 4.5 million people, which is more than half of the state's population. 
• Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, was elected as Arizona's 24th governor in 2022. 
• As of 2021, 29% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher; public universities conferred 47,531 degrees in 2020, the most ever. 
• The median income for Arizona families is $65,913 and average life expectancy is 76.3 years (2020). 
• In 2019, Arizona had 455 per 100,000 violent crimes and 2,441 per 100K property crimes. 
• 988 fewer Chapter 7 bankruptcies were filed in 2022 compared to 2021. 

Arizona Population Demographics

The sixth largest state in terms of land area, Arizona houses a population of 7,359,197 according to 2022 estimates. Females account for 50.05% of the total, with males accounting for 49.95%. The Grand Canyon State has a total land area of around 113,594 square miles and an average population density of 62.9 people per square mile.  

In 2020, the median age in Arizona was 37.9 years, slightly lower than the national median age of 38.8 years. Individuals under the age of 5 account for 5.5% of the population, those under 18 account for 22.2% of the population, and those over 65 account for 18.3%.

Maricopa County, the largest of the state's 15 counties, has the most residents and the fastest growth rate in Arizona. As of 2022, it is home to around 4.5 million people, more than half of the state's population. Most of Arizona's population lives in and around Phoenix, the state capital, and Tucson, the state's second-largest city. 

Arizona Housing

According to the US Census

3,138,871 residential

As of July 2021, there were 3,138,871 residential units in Arizona.

65.8%

Of the inhabited housing units, 65.8% were owner-occupied.

2,683,557 households

Additionally, there are 2,683,557 households in Arizona, and each household has an average of 2.58 individuals.

65.13 %

of these households are family units, while 34.87 % are non-family units.

$265,600

The median value of owner-occupied homes was

$1,545

The average monthly mortgage payment was

Arizona Racial Demographics

2022 US Census estimates:

Elections in Arizona

As of 2023, no single political party controls all three branches of government in Arizona. The Democratic Party holds the governor's office, while the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.  

2022 Gubernatorial Elections  

Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, was elected as Arizona's 24th governor in 2022 and took the oath of office on January 2, 2023. She was elected as Arizona's fifth female governor, making the state the one with the most female governors in US history when she assumed office. 

2020 Presidential Elections 

Since its admission to the Union in February 1912, Arizona has voted in all 28 presidential elections held in the United States. The Grand Canyon State has been considered a stronghold state for the Republican Party since the presidential election in 1952, except for 1996 and 2020, when the state was won by Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively. 

On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, Arizona held its primary election for the presidency of the United States of America. Former Vice President Joe Biden (Democrat) won the state by 10,457 votes or 0.3% of the roughly 3.4 million ballots cast.  

Arizona Voting Statistics

According to voter registration data provided by Arizona's Secretary of State, as of April 2023, Arizona has a total of 4,168,416 registered voters. They include 1,443,142 registered Republicans (34.7%), 1,270,613 registered Democrats (30.5%), 32,961 registered Libertarians (0.8%), and 1,415,020 registered as "Other" (34.0%).  

The state had a voter turnout of 79.9% in the 2020 general elections, with 3,420,565 ballots cast. However, voter turnout fell in 2022, with 62.56% voter turnout and a total of 2,592,313 ballots cast.

General Election Data (2008-2022)

How Educated Is Arizona

As of 2021, 29% of residents in Arizona have a bachelor's degree or higher. In comparison, the national average is 35%. Arizona’s public universities are the primary providers of higher education, with a total enrollment of 204,460 students in the fall of 2020.  

In the same year, public institutions in Arizona conferred more degrees than previously recorded in the state's history. Graduates from public institutions acquired a total of 47,531 degrees, a 29% increase over the preceding five years. 

Arizona Employment Rate

According to the State Employment and Unemployment release, Arizona's seasonally adjusted (SA) unemployment rate was 3.5% in March 2023. Arizona's SA labor force increased by 5,930 individuals compared to the previous month, or 0.2%. The number of participants in the labor force also increased by 71,715, or 2.0%, compared with the 2022.  

When seasonal influences were not considered, total nonfarm employment in Arizona fell by 9,800 positions from February to March. The number of nonfarm positions increased by 62,600 jobs, representing a year-over-year increase of 2.0%.

Average Income in Arizona

According to a 2021 Census survey, the median income for Arizona families is $65,913. The average or mean income for a household in Arizona is $89,693. 7.42% of Arizona households are deemed to have a high income since their annual income is more than $200,000. Overall, income levels across the state vary depending on location, occupation, age and education level of the householder, and other demographics. 

According to a report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA),  personal income in Arizona fell by 26.5 % in the second quarter of 2021. All 50 states and the District of Columbia experienced this decrease in personal income as federal income support declined. However, in the fourth quarter of 2022, personal income rose by 7.9% (seasonally-adjusted annual rate), surpassing the national average of 7.4%. The state per capita income also increased by 1.3%, faster than the national average of 0.4%.  

Families in Arizona

Arizona Marriage Rates

Arizona Divorce Rates

According to the United States Census Bureau, the state's divorce rate is higher than the national average. In 2020, the state had a rate of 2.6 per 1000 people, and Greenlee County had the highest rate of divorces in that year with a rate of 4.6. In 2021, the divorce rate dropped to 2.7 divorces per 1,000 when the national average was 2.5 per 1,000 population. 

Life Expectancy in Arizona

Arizona's life expectancy rate fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 76.3 years in 2020. Life expectancy in the United States fell by 1.8 years during the same period, from 78.8 to 77 years. As a result, Arizona's life expectancy has fallen below the national average for the first time since 2006. 

The average life expectancy in Arizona and the rest of the United States began to decline in 2014 and hit its lowest point in 2020. Arizona's population loss between 2020 and 2022 was one of the most significant in the country. Although COVID-19 was a factor, other factors, such as opiate overdoses, heart disease, and traffic-related mortality, played a role. 

Arizona Crime Rates

Arizona's crime data are maintained up to date by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. In 2019, Arizona's violent crime rate was 455 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate was 2,441 per 100,000 residents.  

Violent crimes are offenses that involve the use or threat of force. Examples include homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and sexual assault. In 2023, state agencies reported 6,422 violent crimes, including 125 homicides, 4,659 serious assaults, 1,020 robberies, and 618 sexual assaults. 

On the other hand, property crimes are actions committed to obtain money, property, or some additional gain. Examples include theft, bribery, fraud, or burglary. Several state and local authorities have also compiled a total of 32,937 property crime reports. These include 122 arson crimes, 3,702 burglary cases, 3,860 motor vehicles theft cases, 4,203 incidents of fraud, and 21,050 larceny cases. 

Arizona Incarceration Rate

100,000 state residents

As of 2023, Arizona has the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the United States, and its prison costs are rising. According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, an incarceration rate is the number of persons imprisoned in local, state, or federal prisons for every 100,000 state residents.

558 people per 100,000 citizens

According to the National Institute of Corrections, Arizona had an imprisonment rate of 558 people per 100,000 citizens in 2019.

40,951 in 14 state prisons

As of December 31 of that year, the number of prisoners under the jurisdiction of the state's correctional authority was 40,951 in 14 state prisons

13,560 convicts

In addition, municipal jails held 13,560 convicts, while 78,214 were on probation and 7,114 were on parole.

Between 2020 and 2021, the incarceration rate in Arizona was 868 per 100,000 people. This figure suggests an imprisonment crisis in the penitentiary system that is not fueled by criminal conduct. Instead, Arizona's massive and rising jail population is the product of questionable policy decisions made by the state's legislature.  

Since 2000, the state has increased the number of non-violent and first-time offenders sentenced to prison rather than probation, drug treatment, or other alternatives that are more focused on rehabilitation. Annually, the prison crisis takes thousands of people from the labor force and costs taxpayers more than $1 billion. This prevents the government from investing in other essential priorities, such as education, social services, and child protection. 

Arizona Bankruptcy Rate

The number of bankruptcies filed in Arizona decreased by 8.1% in 2022. Although the fall was not as substantial as the one-year drop of 27.5% in 2021, it was the third year in a row that the state had fewer bankruptcy filings. Furthermore, for the second year in a row, the number of filings was less than 1000 monthly.  

The year-to-date figures for December show that the decrease in the overall number of bankruptcies was primarily due to a decrease in Chapter 7 (liquidation) filings. There were 988 fewer of them in 2022 than the previous year in 2021. This was not the case for other types of bankruptcies, as the number of Chapter 11 (reorganization) and Chapter 13 (individual debt adjustment) filings increased throughout the year.  

2021

9,353 bankruptcy cases

Every month in the year 2021, fewer than 1,000 petitions for bankruptcy were filed in Arizona. For instance, 590 businesses declared bankruptcy in December 2021, which is much less than the monthly average. Overall, in 2021, 9,353 bankruptcies were filed in the state, a 27.5 % decline from 12,903 files in 2020 and 16,237 filings in 2019.

Weird Laws in Arizona

Here are some of the most distinctive laws in the Revised Statutes of Arizona: