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Regional Population Overview

Population Overview

Pima Association of Governments consists of eight member jurisdictions: City of Tucson, Towns of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita, City of South Tucson, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation and Pima County. Each contributes to a countywide population of more than 1 million residents, and each jurisdiction offers unique residential, business and regional access opportunities. The following information is based on statistics from 2021 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau and 2020 Census data. Individuals may select more than one ethnicity on a census form.

Member Snapshots

Pima County

Pima County was founded in 1864 and is one of the four original counties in Arizona. The average travel time to work is 24.7 minutes, 1.9 minutes faster than the Arizona average.

Population: 1,052,030

Median Age: 38.9

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White (non-Hispanic): 50.3%
  • Black (non-Hispanic): 4.4%
  • Hispanic: 38.5%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): 3.3%
  • Native American: 4.5%

Median Household Income: $55,023

Tucson

Incorporated in 1877, it is home to the University of Arizona, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Tucson International Airport. Flanked by Interstates 10 and 19, the mean travel time to work is 22.4 minutes. Tucson manages Sun Tran, a regional mass transit system, and Sun Link, a 3.9-mile streetcar system between the University of Arizona and the west side of downtown Tucson.

Population: 543,242

Median Age: 33.9

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White (non-Hispanic): 43.3%
  • Black (non-Hispanic): 4.9%
  • Hispanic: 44.2%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): 3.2%

Median Household Income: $45,227

South Tucson

South Tucson is a 1-square-mile enclave that is completely surrounded by the City of Tucson. South Tucson is located very close to the intersection of I-10 and I-19, affording excellent access to the entire region. With its small size, it is easy for residents who both live and work within South Tucson to commute within minutes. The mean travel time to work is 23 minutes.

Population: 4,613

Median Age: 30.5

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White: 30.1%
  • Black (non-Hispanic): 2.4%
  • Hispanic: 76.4%
  • American Indian: 11.5%

Median Household Income: $28,704

Marana

Marana is a northern suburb of the metro area that stretches from the northwest border of Tucson into southern Pinal County. Incorporated in 1977, it is the fastest growing community in Pima County and one of the fastest growing municipalities in Arizona. The bulk of Marana’s population lives within 10 minutes of one of the six I-10 interchanges in the town. The mean travel time to work is 29.8 minutes.

Population: 54,895

Median Age: 40.13

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White (non-Hispanic): 61.6%
  • Black (non-Hispanic): 3.5%
  • Hispanic: 26.7%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): 4%

Median Household Income: $89,689

Oro Valley

Oro Valley is a suburb located six miles north of Tucson and set against the Catalina Mountains to the east with the Tortolita Mountains to the north. Incorporated in 1974, Oro Valley connects to I-10 via the Tangerine Road corridor. Oracle Road, or State Route 77, runs through the heart of the community. The mean travel time to work is 27.5 minutes.

Population: 47,879

Median Age: 54

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White (non-Hispanic): 76.1%
  • Black (non-Hispanic): 1.9%
  • Hispanic: 15.9%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): 2.9%

Median Household Income: $86,863

Sahuarita

Sahuarita is 15 miles south of Tucson, south of the Tohono O’odham Nation and abutting the north end of Green Valley. It was incorporated in 1994 and is located directly off I-19, providing direct access to Tucson and the Tohono O’odham Nation and which serves as a major trade route to Mexico. The mean travel time to work is 28 minutes.

Population: 35,337

Median Age: 54

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White (non-Hispanic): 58%
  • Black (non-Hispanic): 2.5%
  • Hispanic: 35.2%
  • Asian (non-Hispanic): 1.7%

Median Household Income: $85,247

Pascua Yaqui Tribe

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of Yaqui Native Americans in southern Arizona. The 2,200-acre reservation is southeast of the City of Tucson, with a few additional pueblos located in the Tucson and Marana areas. The reservation is located close to I-19 with easy access from Valencia Road. This gives residents easy access to the rest of the region. State Route 86 also runs parallel to the reservation, providing a fast route to western Pima County. The mean travel time to work is 15.7 minutes.

Population: 3,466

Median Age: 24

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White (non-Hispanic): 1.8%
  • American Indian (non-Hispanic): 84.4%

Median Household Income: $35,364

Tohono Oʼodham Nation

The Tohono Oʼodham Nation is located on an 11,243-square-kilometer reservation, with the bulk of it west of Tucson. A small separate area, the San Xavier District, lies south of Tucson, near Sahuarita. The mean travel distance to work is 24.1 minutes, but a lot can depend on where the commuter lives. The San Xavier District lies near I-19, and State Route 86 runs east-west through the reservation.

Population: 6,418*

Median Age: 28*

Ethnicity Distribution:

  • White (non-Hispanic): 1%
  • American Indian: 97.2%
  • Hispanic: 4%

Median Household Income: $25,278

*This data only includes residents of Pima County. The Tohono Oʼodham Nation stretches into Pinal and Maricopa counties.