Phoenix Continues to Power Arizona Growth as New Census Data Shows Another Strong Year

PHOENIX, AZ (March 27, 2026) — The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro remained one of the nation’s leading growth markets in 2025, adding 59,065 residents and reaching a population of 5,228,938, according to new Census Data estimates.

The gain ranked metro Phoenix fourth nationally for numeric population growth and kept it the 10th-largest metropolitan area in the country. Among major U.S. metros, only Dallas and Houston posted faster growth rates during the 12-month period ending July 1, 2025.

Phoenix recorded a 1.14 percent growth rate from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025. While that was below the 1.62 percent pace recorded a year earlier, it still came in well above the national growth rate of 0.52 percent, reinforcing Arizona’s position as a continuing draw for new residents and business expansion.

Only New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Miami, and Philadelphia have larger metro populations than Phoenix. Even so, the Valley continues to stand out for its sustained momentum, with only Dallas and Houston growing faster among the nation’s largest markets in 2025.

The Census figures also offer a reminder that Arizona’s growth story extends beyond the Valley. While metro Phoenix added more than 59,000 residents in 2025, Tucson remained the state’s second-largest city. Tucson’s 2025 population estimate was not yet available at press time. The most recent Census figure showed the City of Tucson at 554,013 residents in 2024, while the Tucson metro stood at 1,086,634 in 2024 based on the most recent metro figure.

One of the biggest factors behind Phoenix’s slower growth in 2025 was a steep decline in international migration. The metro gained 25,543 residents from other countries, down from 48,833 the year before. Even with that drop, international migration still outpaced domestic migration, as Phoenix added 22,256 residents from other parts of the United States.

Natural change also remained a contributor to the metro’s expansion. Births exceeded deaths by 13,169, with 56,215 births and 43,046 deaths recorded during the period. That was slightly below the 14,548 natural increase posted a year earlier.

Since 2020, the Valley has added 377,643 residents, a cumulative gain of 7.25 percent. Over that period, domestic migration accounted for 195,135 new residents, international migration added 127,758, and natural change contributed 55,364 more births than deaths.

Although the pace of growth has moderated, the latest Census estimates make it clear that metro Phoenix remains one of the nation’s most important centers of population and economic growth. For Arizona, that continued expansion carries implications well beyond housing demand, shaping everything from transportation planning and infrastructure investment to retail, office, and industrial development across the state.