Arizona's Pinal and Yavapai counties saw a population boom
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Arizona's population has skyrocketed over the past decade — but some of the highest rates of growth have occurred outside of our major metropolitans, per an Axios analysis of the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
The big picture: Maricopa County has been heralded as one of the country's fastest-growing counties for adding nearly half a million people in the past decade — but population estimates show some of Arizona's previously rural counties are also growing at an exceptionally fast pace.
By the numbers: The Valley's closest neighbor, Pinal County, grew 7%, increasing from a five-year average of about 420,000 in 2014-2018 to about 449,000 in 2019-2023.
- Yavapai County, which borders Maricopa County to the north, saw its population increase by 7.6% over that period.
Zoom in: Pinal County, once wholly reliant on agriculture and mining, has become a hotbed of industrial development, with manufacturers like Lucid Motors and Nikola Corp. moving operations there in the past few years.
- Pinal County Supervisor Stephen Miller, who moved to Casa Grande more than 40 years ago, said the county has two freeways, a railroad and a lot of relatively affordable land — all valuable assets for big manufacturing companies.
- As Maricopa County runs out of room to sprawl, Pinal will likely continue to be a popular destination for big-footprint employers.
Between the lines: More than ever, the area has become an extension of the Valley, with some of Phoenix's hottest exurbs, including Queen Creek, spanning the Maricopa and Pinal county lines.
- There are still a lot of workers commuting from Maricopa County to Pinal County employers, but housing development is surging in Maricopa, San Tan Valley, Queen Creek and other Pinal County communities as more people seek to live closer to their employers, Miller said.
- Plus, Pinal County home prices continue to lag those in most of Maricopa County, making it a more attainable option for first-time homebuyers.
Meanwhile, Yavapai County, whose 2019-2023 average population estimate was about 242,000, has seen a continuous trickle of new residents, especially in the neighboring cities of Prescott and Prescott Valley.
- Prescott Valley, the county's largest city, surpassed 50,000 residents in 2023, per the Census Bureau.
The intrigue: Growth is not without challenges — especially in once-rural areas with limited infrastructure.
- Miller said Pinal County leaders have to work with the state to ensure water and power supply and enhanced transportation options (specifically, the widening of Interstate 10).
- In Yavapai County, newly elected Supervisor Nikki Check said at her swearing-in that establishing a long-range transportation plan for the Verde Valley is among her main priorities, the Daily Courier reported.
The bottom line: "You can grow too fast, and we may be right on the cusp of that right now," Miller said.