TUCSON, AZ (May 1, 2026) — Pima County gained nearly $238 million in adjusted gross income from shifting migrating income between 2022 and 2023, underscoring Southern Arizona’s continued role as a destination for new residents, workers, retirees, and business investment.
This growth can be attributed to the phenomenon of Shifting Migrating Income, which has attracted a diverse population to the area.
According to a new analysis by The Business Journals of Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Census Bureau data, Pima County recorded a net adjusted gross income gain of $237.837 million from Shifting Migrating Income, with people moving into and out of the county during the most recent tax-data year available.
Pima County attracted $1.729 billion in incoming adjusted gross income in 2023, the second-largest raw AGI inflow in Arizona behind Maricopa County. That was offset by $1.491 billion in AGI leaving the county, resulting in the net gain.
The increase placed Pima County fourth among Arizona counties for net AGI growth tied to migration in 2023, behind Pinal County at $619.363 million, Yavapai County at $288.972 million, and Maricopa County, which led the state with a net gain of more than $1.37 billion.
Over the longer term, Pima County also ranked among Arizona’s leading counties for migrating income gains. From 2011 through 2023, Pima County posted a net AGI increase of $3.061 billion, trailing only Pinal County at $4.144 billion and Yavapai County at $3.333 billion among Arizona counties outside Maricopa.
The data points to a broader statewide trend: Arizona continues to gain wealth and earning power from domestic migration, even as the strongest gains remain concentrated in the Phoenix metro area and fast-growing Sun Belt counties.
Statewide, Arizona posted a net AGI gain of more than $2.7 billion from migration in 2023. All but three Arizona counties recorded positive net AGI gains, with Apache, Coconino, and Greenlee counties reporting losses.
For Pima County, the numbers offer a mixed but generally positive signal. The county continues to attract significant income from new residents, but its sizable outflow shows that the region is also losing a substantial amount of earning power to other markets.
The trend carries implications for Southern Arizona’s housing market, labor force, retail demand, public services, and economic development strategy. As population growth slows nationally and the U.S. faces an aging workforce, counties that can retain residents while attracting new workers and investment are expected to be better positioned for long-term economic stability.
Nationally, the analysis found that high-growth suburban Sun Belt counties continued to post some of the strongest migration and income gains, while major metros such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami saw some of the largest net migration losses.
For Southern Arizona, Pima County’s gain suggests the region remains competitive for attracting income, but the gap between inflows and outflows also underscores the importance of retaining talent, expanding employment opportunities, and strengthening the region’s economic base.