Tempe, Arizona Population 2023

190,889

Tempe is a city located in Maricopa County Arizona. Tempe has a 2023 population of 190,889. Tempe is currently growing at a rate of 1.82% annually and its population has increased by 5.57% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 180,823 in 2020.

The average household income in Tempe is $84,400 with a poverty rate of 18.24%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Tempe is 29.6 years, 29 years for males, and 30.4 years for females.

Tempe is located in Maricopa County, Arizona and takes its name from the Vale of Tempe in Greece. The city is located in the Phoenix metropolitan area between Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, and Phoenix. Phoenix Metro, sometimes called the Valley of the Sun, has a population of 4.2 million people and it’s one of the fastest growing major metros in the U.S.

Population Growth

Phoenix Metro, including Tempe, is experiencing rapid population growth. Arizona as a whole is the 4th fastest growing state according to a 2019 census report and Maricopa County is leading the charge. Unlike some regions, the area does have water and resource constraints and its population growth will naturally slow in the future. It’s predicted that the Phoenix Metro population will reach 6-7 million within 20 years compared to 4.2 million today.

Tempe, Arizona was originally settled by the Hohokam people who built elaborate canals for agriculture although they largely abandoned the area in the 1400s. In 1865, Fort McDowell was established in present-day Tempe and helped in the establishment of new towns along Salt River. Military members and Hispanic workers were brought in to care for animals and grow crops to support the fort and they created two permanent communities in the valley: San Pablo and Hayden’s Ferry named for a ferry operator. The community was later named Tempe in 1879.

Tempe had a history as a sundown town until the 1960s as African Americans were allowed to work in the community yet encouraged to live somewhere else. It was the construction of the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad in 1887 that connected Tempe to the rest of the nation and paved the way for the city’s incorporation in 1894. When the Roosevelt Dam was completed in 1911, it ensured the region would have enough water to support agriculture and helped Tempe and other cities thrive.

Today’s Tempe is an inner suburb of Phoenix and serves as the region’s commerce and educational center.

Tempe Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Tempe was:

  • White: 64.1%
  • Two or more races: 9.41%
  • Asian: 8.75%
  • Other race: 7.49%
  • Black or African American: 7.44%
  • Native American: 2.41%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.41%
State
Arizona
Land Area (mi²)
40.0 sq mi
Density (mi²)
4,774.90/sq mi
Growth Rate
1.82% (3,416)
Growth Since 2020
5.57% (10,066)
The current population of Tempe, Arizona is 190,889 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 180,823.

Tempe, Arizona Population 2023

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White114,64264.1%
Two or more races16,8369.41%
Asian15,6448.75%
Other race13,3957.49%
Black or African American13,2997.44%
Native American4,3142.41%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander7320.41%
showing: 7 rows

White

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Black or African American

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Tempe Population by Race

Tempe Population Pyramid 2023

Tempe Median Age

29.6

Total

29

Male

30.4

Female

Tempe Adults

There are 153,292 adults, (18,538 of whom are seniors) in Tempe.

Tempe Age Dependency

32.7

Age Dependency Ratio

13.8

Old Age Dependency Ratio

19

Child Dependency Ratio

Tempe Sex Ratio

Female83,73746.82%
Male95,12553.18%

Tempe Population by Age

Tempe Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All73,7852.2739.660.4
Non Family39,9481.6126.973.1
Married22,1442.9966.133.9
Female6,9983.333070
Male4,6952.9836.663.4
showing: 5 rows

2.92

Average Family Size

2.27

Average Household Size

39.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Tempe Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Tempe Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Tempe Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 73.87%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 50.55%.

Tempe Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$43,645

Average Earnings

$46,105

Average Male

$39,875

Average Female

Tempe Earnings by Educational Attainment

Tempe Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Tempe Language

76.1% of Tempe residents speak only English, while 23.9% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 12.32% of the population.

Tempe Language

Tempe Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White90,17313,39714.86%
Hispanic38,8736,21715.99%
Asian14,8075,42336.62%
Multiple16,3593,18719.48%
Black12,6833,16224.93%
Other12,5212,07416.56%
Native4,19493522.29%
Islander725364.97%
showing: 8 rows

18.24%

Overall Poverty Rate

18.24%

Male Poverty Rate

18.23%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Tempe

The race most likely to be in poverty in Tempe is Asian, with 36.62% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Tempe is Islander, with 4.97% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.52%. Among those working part-time, it was 29.39%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 34.09%.

Tempe Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade22.65%
Some College12.34%
High School12.07%
Bachelors or Greater8.38%
showing: 4 rows

Tempe Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed36.53%
Male Unemployed33.19%
Female Employed10.71%
Male Employed10.06%
showing: 4 rows

Tempe Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Tempe Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Tempe Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

30.4%

Overall Marriage Rate

29.3%

Male Marriage Rate

31.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Tempe Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Tempe Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Tempe Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Tempe Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

8,121

Number of Veterans

6,981

Male Veterans

1,140

Female Veterans

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Tempe Veterans by War

count

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Tempe Veterans by Age

count

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Tempe Veterans by Race

Tempe Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

10.54%

Veteran Poverty Rate

24.09%

Veteran Disability Rate

Tempe Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

69.9%

Labor Force Participation

65.5%

Employment Rate

6.2%

Unemployment Rate

Tempe Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Tempe Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Tempe Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

39.34%

Born in Tempe

91.1%

Native Born

15.52%

Foreign Born

9.74%

Non Citizen

5.78%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

91.1% of Tempe residents were born in the United States, with 39.34% having been born in Arizona. 9.74% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Tempe Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
1900800-211,9334.42%
19402,9062,1063.28%
19507,6844,77810.21%
196024,89717,21312.47%
197063,55038,6539.82%
1980106,91943,3695.34%
1990141,86534,9462.87%
2000158,62516,7601.12%
2010161,719
2011163,6061,8871.17%
2012165,4931,8871.15%
2013167,3801,8871.14%
2014169,2671,8871.13%
2015171,1541,8871.11%
2016173,0411,8871.1%
2017174,9281,8871.09%
2018176,8151,8871.08%
2019178,7021,8871.07%
2020180,8232,1211.19%
2021184,1183,2951.82%
2022187,4733,3551.82%
2023190,8893,4161.82%
2024194,3673,4781.82%
2025197,9093,5421.82%
2026201,5153,6061.82%
2027205,1873,6721.82%
2028208,9263,7391.82%
2029212,7333,8071.82%
showing: 28 rows

Tempe Population by Year