According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau 2014 estimate numbers, Arizona’s population increased 1.5 percent over 2013 to 6.7 million. Even though Arizona saw fewer than 100,000 new residents, it’s the largest year-over-year population increase since 2008, when the state’s growth rate was 1.8 percent.
The majority of that increase came from senior citizens, 65 and older. As a demographic they increased by 4.5 percent over 2013.
Maricopa County’s population increase was 1.84 percent, the majority of the growth, with 74,027 new residents added compared to the second largest, Pima County’s 0.65 percent growth of 6,466 new residents year-over-year.
Through the recession, Arizona grew at less than 1 percent each year with a low in 2010 of 0.32 percent. In 2006, at the height of the housing boom, the state grew 3.3 percent over 2005.
Since 2010, Pima has grown at a 2.5 percent rate and Maricopa at a7.5 percent growth rate.
Today, Arizona has 6,731,484 people. Ten years ago, the population stood at 5.8 million.
Looking back, Arizona increased its population 15 percent over 2005, adding 873,000 new residents through births and inward migration.
Last year’s 96,487 population increase is the highest number since the 112,000 increase in 2008.
The state’s workforce, population (16 to 65 years old) increased just 1 percent over 2013 and the number of children in the state moved up just 0.2 percent from last year.
In comparison, the U.S. population increased 0.75 percent to 318,857,056 over the year.
Arizona population trend 2005-2010
- 2005 5,839,000
- 2006 6,029,000
- 2007 6,168,000
- 2008 6,280,000
- 2009 6,343,000
- 2010 6,392,017
- 2011 6,451,538
- 2012 6,536,241
- 2013 6,634,997
- 2014 6,731,484
Source: U.S. Bureau Census