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Maricopa County Leads the Nation in Population Growth

Whether seeking affordability, a comfortable year-round climate, or a booming economic base, people have been flocking to Maricopa County, Arizona. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Maricopa County population grew by an astounding 58,246 year over year between July 2020 and 2021 alone. This represents a 1.3 percent growth in population. While this isn’t necessarily a new trend given the area has experienced reasonably high growth rates for quite some time, it does represent a sizable jump. Major draws to the area include its exceptionally low crime rate, an affordable cost of living, a family-friendly environment, a pleasant desert lifestyle, stunning southwest scenery, and clear blue skies.

The latest population boom can be largely attributed to migrations of professionals leaving other states. However most seem to be coming from nearby California—specifically San Francisco. Why the influx of San Franciscans? While most aren’t willing to uproot their lives without the promise of some benefit on the other side, the pandemic has freed a large population of high-earning technical professionals employed by San-Francisco-based firms to Zoom in on a remote basis in perpetuity. This has encouraged those professionals along with others in similar situations to move into neighborhoods that might offer a greater quality of life. And this can be enjoyed while still earning the same premium salary they held while living and working in more expensive urban regions.

These affluent buyers are able to purchase more home for their dollar in Maricopa County than attainable in crowded urban areas like San Francisco. But experts believe this influx has both pros and cons. On one hand, more revenue is being invested in the local economy. And that revenue benefits everyone from restaurateurs to arts and entertainment venues and grocers. On the other hand, though, a large rise in population within such a short period of time also drives up real estate demand along with regional housing costs. It also affects other conveniences like dining, which now might require a reservation and can entail a long wait list. The state’s infrastructure and water resources have also been affected.

Still, the local economy in Maricopa County and surrounding territories continues to boom. Maricopa County is already home to leading employers such as Banner Health, Intel Corporation, Honeywell, State Farm, and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. along with automotive manufacturing plants and high-tech firms. But plans have been recently announced for the opening of manufacturing firms like Kohler, as well, and Nikola Motor Co. in nearby Pinal County.

Yavapai and Pinal counties have felt the effects of this upsurge in population, with a 2.2 percent and 4.6 percent increase respectively over the same timeframe. Moreover, every county in Arizona except La Paz, Coconino, Apache, and Greenlee has grown in population this past year, driving the state’s overall population up by 98,330 and making Arizona the third-fastest growing state in the nation.

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