Surprise is a city located in Maricopa County Arizona. Surprise has a 2024 population of 162,911. Surprise is currently growing at a rate of 2.92% annually and its population has increased by 12.81% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 144,407 in 2020.
The average household income in Surprise is $101,937 with a poverty rate of 6.79%. The median age in Surprise is 41.5 years: 41.3 years for males, and 41.7 years for females.
Surprise is located in Maricopa County, Arizona about 30 miles northwest of Phoenix and part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Metro Phoenix has an estimated population of 4.7 million and Surprise is the 9th largest city in the area. Surprise is the second-fastest growing municipality in the metro area after Gilbert and was the 6th fastest growing city or town in the U.S. in the 1990s.
Just under 9% of the population of Surprise is foreign-born. Surprise is considered a fairly old city with an average age among residents of 46 years compared to 38 for the United States (https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/us-median-age-hits-all-time-high-38-record-86248-are-100-or-older) as a whole.
In 2016, Surprise was named one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. In 2019, the state was also ranked as the 3rd fastest growing in part due to shrinking wages and affordability in the area. Maricopa County has led Arizona's population growth, reporting eight straight years of population gains since 2011 (https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2019/04/18/census-maricopa-population-gains/) and adding 81,000 new residents among the 122,000 new people who moved to Arizona. While Surprise remains popular among retirees, it's also gaining attention from people in the labor force, especially those struggling to keep up with California's rising housing costs and stagnant wages.
Surprise, Arizona is a young city founded by Flora Statler in 1938. She named the city because she would be "surprised if the town ever amounted to much." The town was believed to have been founded by her husband, a real estate developer named Homer Ludden, but property records in 2010 showed Statler was the owner before she met Ludden.
In the early years, Surprise was nothing more than a gas station and affordable homes for agricultural workers but it has grown rapidly since. Surprise was incorporated in 1960 and became a popular destination for retirees beginning in the 1990s and 2000s. This led to the development of Sun City Grand, an age-restricted community which has grown from 10,000 residents to 75,000 residents in 2004.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Surprise was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 111,923 | 76.87% |
| Two or more races | 13,869 | 9.53% |
| Black or African American | 7,801 | 5.36% |
| Other race | 7,081 | 4.86% |
| Asian | 3,697 | 2.54% |
| Native American | 947 | 0.65% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 273 | 0.19% |
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 52,995 | 2.73 | 78.4 | 21.6 |
| Married | 32,044 | 3.16 | 83.9 | 16.1 |
| Non Family | 12,943 | 1.28 | 73.6 | 26.4 |
| Female | 5,752 | 3.33 | 59.6 | 40.4 |
| Male | 2,256 | 3.41 | 77.2 | 22.8 |
3.12
Average Family Size
2.73
Average Household Size
78.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 4,443 | 4.48% |
| Associates Degree | 11,364 | 11.46% |
| Bachelors Degree | 19,941 | 20.11% |
| Graduate Degree | 10,794 | 10.88% |
| High School Graduate | 24,530 | 24.74% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 1,803 | 1.82% |
| Some College | 26,289 | 26.51% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72,141 | 68,995 | 23,229 |
| Hispanic | 15,629 | 13,229 | 3,019 |
| 2+ Races | 6,729 | 5,746 | 2,252 |
| Black | 4,848 | 4,657 | 1,556 |
| Other Race | 3,974 | 3,100 | 550 |
| Asian | 2,679 | 2,420 | 1,242 |
| Native American | 537 | 510 | 270 |
| Islander | 168 | 152 | 61 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among black people with a rate of 96.06%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 50.28%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $59,056 | $69,689 | $54,464 |
| Graduate Degree | $69,594 | $77,831 | $65,889 |
| High School Graduate | $42,699 | $52,590 | $35,457 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $40,820 | $53,554 | $30,602 |
| Overall | $52,790 | $59,732 | $44,902 |
| Some College | $51,693 | $60,668 | $40,592 |
$52,790
Average Earnings
$59,732
Average Male
$44,902
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
87.94% of Surprise residents speak only English, while 12.06% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 8.02% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95,529 | 5,373 | 5.62% |
| Hispanic | 30,184 | 3,594 | 11.91% |
| Other | 6,936 | 1,079 | 15.56% |
| Multiple | 13,848 | 1,001 | 7.23% |
| Black | 7,762 | 555 | 7.15% |
| Asian | 3,669 | 86 | 2.34% |
| Native | 947 | 60 | 6.34% |
| Islander | 273 | 52 | 19.05% |
6.79%
Overall Poverty Rate
5.82%
Male Poverty Rate
7.66%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Surprise is Islander, with 19.05% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Surprise is Asian, with 2.34% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.25%. Among those working part-time, it was 7.54%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 10.79%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 15.2% |
| High School | 6.72% |
| Some College | 5.3% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 4.11% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 22.16% |
| Female Unemployed | 16.65% |
| Female Employed | 3.44% |
| Male Employed | 2.34% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $94,426 | $109,284 |
| Households | $87,756 | $101,937 |
| Married Families | $103,221 | $116,540 |
| Non Families | $57,063 | $68,352 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
57.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
60.5%
Male Marriage Rate
55.0%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
12,771
Number of Veterans
11,406
Male Veterans
1,365
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 4,908 |
| Second Gulf War | 3,357 |
| First Gulf War | 3,134 |
| Korea | 684 |
| World War II | 69 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 75+ | 3,547 |
| 65 to 74 | 3,165 |
| 35 to 54 | 3,000 |
| 55 to 64 | 2,005 |
| 18 to 34 | 1,054 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 10,745 | 12.42% |
| Black | 995 | 18.47% |
| Hispanic | 855 | 4.51% |
| 2+ Races | 506 | 6.1% |
| Other Race | 289 | 5.88% |
| Asian | 120 | 4.02% |
| Native American | 76 | 13.77% |
| Islander | 40 | 18.18% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
4.7%
Veteran Poverty Rate
24.33%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
57.6%
Labor Force Participation
54.1%
Employment Rate
4.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
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.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
30.3%
Born in Surprise
92.94%
Native Born
7.06%
Foreign Born
2.22%
Non Citizen
4.83%
Naturalized
92.94% of Surprise residents were born in the United States, with 30.3% having been born in Arizona. 2.22% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 186,041 | 4,626 | 2.55% |
| 2028 | 181,415 | 4,626 | 2.62% |
| 2027 | 176,789 | 4,626 | 2.69% |
| 2026 | 172,163 | 4,626 | 2.76% |
| 2025 | 167,537 | 4,626 | 2.84% |
| 2024 | 162,911 | 4,626 | 2.92% |
| 2023 | 158,285 | 4,136 | 2.68% |
| 2022 | 154,149 | 4,837 | 3.24% |
| 2021 | 149,312 | 4,905 | 3.4% |
| 2020 | 144,407 | 2,571 | 1.81% |
| 2019 | 141,836 | 4,122 | 2.99% |
| 2018 | 137,714 | 2,961 | 2.2% |
| 2017 | 134,753 | 1,938 | 1.46% |
| 2016 | 132,815 | 2,513 | 1.93% |
| 2015 | 130,302 | 2,458 | 1.92% |
| 2014 | 127,844 | 2,846 | 2.28% |
| 2013 | 124,998 | 2,771 | 2.27% |
| 2012 | 122,227 | 2,649 | 2.22% |
| 2011 | 119,578 | 1,974 | 1.68% |
| 2010 | 117,604 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 30,848 | 23,726 | 333.14% |
| 1990 | 7,122 | 3,399 | 91.3% |
| 1980 | 3,723 | -182,318 | -98% |