State
County
Land Area
238.0 sq mi
Density
2,329.7/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.58%
Growth Since 2010
6.61%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
1,068,730
Tucson is a city located in Arizona. With a 2020 population of 554,503, it is the 2nd largest city in Arizona (after ) and the 33rd largest city in the United States. Tucson is currently growing at a rate of 0.58% annually and its population has increased by 6.61% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 520,116 in 2010. Tucson reached it's highest population of 554,503 in 2021. Spanning over 238 miles, Tucson has a population density of 2,330 people per square mile.
The average household income in Tucson is $58,057 with a poverty rate of 22.45%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $846 per month, and the median house value is $155,300. The median age in Tucson is 33.7 years, 32.5 years for males, and 35.2 years for females. For every 100 females there are 99.0 males.
Tucson has a robust temporary population, which grows and recedes seasonally. Much of the city's economy is centered on the University of Arizona, which is the city's second largest employer, as well as tourism, with over 3.5 million people visiting the city each year. Along with vacationers, there are a large number of winter residents (snowbirds) who come for the mild winters — many own second homes in the area.
Tucson has always had a seasonal population as migratory retirees have spent their winters in the city. During the recession, Tucson went from being one of the hottest real estate markets to one of the most troubled, and the city is now one of the poorest big cities in the United States with a per capita income of just over $20,000. Water shortage has also become an issue as the city's population grows. Despite the problems, the region is expected to see its population double in the next 30 years to around 2 million people.
Paleo-Indians first inhabited Tucson, and recent archaeological work has found a village dating to 2100 BC. The area was first used for farming with extensive irrigation canals. In 1692, Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino visited the area and founded a mission eight years later upstream of present-day Tucson. A second settlement was established downstream. Hugo O'Connor, the founding father of Tucson, authorized the construction of a military fort called Presidio San Agustin del Tucson in 1775.
The town was eventually known as Tucson and became a part of Mexico after Mexico gained independence. It was then captured by the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican-American War and was later returned to Mexico. The city was not included in the Mexican Cession, but it became a part of the United States in 1853, with formal control taken in 1856.
Tucson was briefly the western capital of the Confederate Arizona Territory, although the Confederate forces were driven out of the state in 1862. The city and all of present-day Arizona was part of New Mexico Territory until 1863 when it became a part of Arizona. The city was incorporated in 1877 as the first incorporated city in Arizona.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Tucson was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 1,068,730 | 10,730 | 1.00% |
2020 | 1,058,000 | 10,720 | 1.01% |
2019 | 1,047,280 | 10,730 | 1.02% |
2018 | 1,036,550 | 10,160 | 0.98% |
2017 | 1,026,390 | 9,680 | 0.94% |
2016 | 1,016,710 | 7,610 | 0.75% |
2015 | 1,009,100 | 4,870 | 0.48% |
2014 | 1,004,230 | 7,103 | 0.71% |
2013 | 997,127 | 4,075 | 0.41% |
2012 | 993,052 | 4,671 | 0.47% |
2011 | 988,381 | 6,761 | 0.68% |
2010 | 981,620 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 390,156 | 72.05% |
Some Other Race | 55,043 | 10.17% |
Two or More Races | 29,469 | 5.44% |
Black or African American | 28,136 | 5.20% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 19,913 | 3.68% |
Asian | 17,584 | 3.25% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 1,181 | 0.22% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 212,491 | 2.42 | 50.6 |
Non Family | 95,698 | 1.35 | 37.8 |
Married | 72,297 | 3.23 | 72.2 |
Female | 32,118 | 3.45 | 42.5 |
Male | 12,378 | 3.34 | 44.6 |
3.19
Average Family Size
2.42
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 20,072 | 5.84% |
9th to 12th Grade | 31,613 | 9.20% |
High School Graduate | 81,045 | 23.59% |
Some College | 87,837 | 25.57% |
Associates Degree | 28,909 | 8.41% |
Bachelors Degree | 56,860 | 16.55% |
Graduate Degree | 37,237 | 10.84% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 172,874 | 162,577 | 64,133 |
Hispanic | 131,081 | 95,302 | 18,326 |
Other Race | 32,539 | 22,216 | 3,253 |
Black | 16,743 | 14,116 | 3,562 |
Multiple Races | 13,543 | 10,650 | 3,210 |
Native American | 11,823 | 8,306 | 1,372 |
Asian | 10,883 | 9,440 | 5,224 |
Islander | 734 | 682 | 129 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.04%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 48.00%.
$31,016
Average Earnings
$33,459
Average Male
$27,896
Average Female
66.50% of Tucson residents speak only English, while 33.50% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 27.92% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 228,302 | 59,157 | 25.91% |
White | 225,607 | 38,439 | 17.04% |
Other | 51,378 | 14,304 | 27.84% |
Black | 25,385 | 8,238 | 32.45% |
Multiple | 27,909 | 7,244 | 25.96% |
Native | 18,444 | 5,864 | 31.79% |
Asian | 16,675 | 3,999 | 23.98% |
Islander | 1,142 | 499 | 43.70% |
22.45%
Overall Poverty Rate
21.55%
Male Poverty Rate
23.31%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Tucson is Islander, with 43.70% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Tucson is White, with 17.04% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.92%. Among those working part-time, it was 28.88%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 31.23%.
36.0%
Overall Marriage Rate
36.3%
Male Marriage Rate
35.6%
Female Marriage Rate
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 35-44.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 31,320 | 10.06% |
Hispanic | 7,665 | 4.61% |
Black | 2,470 | 11.93% |
Other | 1,649 | 3.98% |
2 or More | 1,273 | 7.25% |
Asian | 534 | 3.49% |
Indian | 523 | 3.52% |
Hawaiian | 57 | 7.04% |
9.18%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.58%
Veteran Disability Rate
61.6%
Labor Force Participation
55.8%
Employment Rate
7.8%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
84.67%
Native Born
15.33%
Foreign Born
8.74%
Non Citizen
6.59%
Naturalized
84.67% of Tucson residents were born in the United States, with 44.74% having been born in Arizona. 8.74% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 554,503 | 3,215 | 0.58% |
2020 | 551,288 | 3,215 | 0.59% |
2019 | 548,073 | 3,215 | 0.59% |
2018 | 544,858 | 3,481 | 0.64% |
2017 | 541,377 | 3,849 | 0.72% |
2016 | 537,528 | 1,921 | 0.36% |
2015 | 535,607 | 807 | 0.15% |
2014 | 534,800 | 1,855 | 0.35% |
2013 | 532,945 | 1,065 | 0.20% |
2012 | 531,880 | 1,171 | 0.22% |
2011 | 530,709 | 3,549 | 0.67% |
2010 | 527,160 | 40,461 | 0.80% |
2000 | 486,699 | 81,309 | 1.84% |
1990 | 405,390 | 74,853 | 2.06% |
1980 | 330,537 | 67,604 | 2.31% |
1970 | 262,933 | 50,041 | 2.13% |
1960 | 212,892 | 167,438 | 16.70% |
1950 | 45,454 | 8,636 | 2.13% |
1940 | 36,818 | 4,312 | 1.25% |
1930 | 32,506 | 12,214 | 4.82% |
1920 | 20,292 | 7,099 | 4.40% |
1910 | 13,193 | 5,662 | 5.77% |
1900 | 7,531 | 2,381 | 3.87% |
1890 | 5,150 | -1,857 | -3.03% |
1880 | 7,007 | 3,783 | 8.07% |
1870 | 3,224 | 0.00% |