Tucson is a city located in Pima County Arizona. Tucson has a 2024 population of 548,772. It is also the county seat of Pima County. Tucson is currently growing at a rate of 0.28% annually and its population has increased by 1.13% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 542,638 in 2020.
The average household income in Tucson is $69,553 with a poverty rate of 19.56%. The median age in Tucson is 33.9 years: 32.7 years for males, and 35.3 years for females.
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:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 329,262 | 60.86% |
Two or more races | 85,724 | 15.84% |
Other race | 64,283 | 11.88% |
Black or African American | 25,817 | 4.77% |
Asian | 17,390 | 3.21% |
Native American | 17,220 | 3.18% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 1,337 | 0.25% |
White
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 220,769 | 2.34 | 50.9 | 49.1 |
Non Family | 101,040 | 1.31 | 37.4 | 62.6 |
Married | 73,609 | 3.18 | 74.2 | 25.8 |
Female | 32,238 | 3.3 | 42.1 | 57.9 |
Male | 13,882 | 3.14 | 46.9 | 53.1 |
3.08
Average Family Size
2.34
Average Household Size
50.9%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 27,833 | 8.04% |
Associates Degree | 30,055 | 8.68% |
Bachelors Degree | 61,126 | 17.66% |
Graduate Degree | 40,643 | 11.74% |
High School Graduate | 79,661 | 23.01% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 18,636 | 5.38% |
Some College | 88,268 | 25.49% |
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 | 168,123 | 159,946 | 66,342 |
Hispanic | 135,952 | 102,961 | 22,353 |
2+ Races | 47,023 | 38,284 | 10,510 |
Other Race | 39,042 | 28,343 | 5,432 |
Black | 16,044 | 13,562 | 3,077 |
Asian | 10,848 | 9,479 | 5,449 |
Native American | 9,984 | 7,233 | 1,294 |
Islander | 763 | 682 | 190 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.14%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 50.23%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $47,012 | $54,380 | $42,428 |
Graduate Degree | $65,174 | $77,998 | $57,003 |
High School Graduate | $32,394 | $35,381 | $28,192 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $26,986 | $28,710 | $24,409 |
Overall | $37,705 | $41,038 | $34,517 |
Some College | $36,138 | $40,444 | $32,788 |
$37,705
Average Earnings
$41,038
Average Male
$34,517
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
67.89% of Tucson residents speak only English, while 32.11% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 26.93% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 235,934 | 53,018 | 22.47% |
White | 217,536 | 33,791 | 15.53% |
Multiple | 84,132 | 15,647 | 18.6% |
Other | 60,596 | 13,653 | 22.53% |
Black | 23,519 | 5,718 | 24.31% |
Native | 15,884 | 4,881 | 30.73% |
Asian | 16,692 | 3,639 | 21.8% |
Islander | 1,279 | 572 | 44.72% |
19.56%
Overall Poverty Rate
18.08%
Male Poverty Rate
20.98%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Tucson is Islander, with 44.72% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Tucson is White, with 15.53% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.95%. Among those working part-time, it was 26.23%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 29.25%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 27.55% |
High School | 18.86% |
Some College | 14.12% |
Bachelors or Greater | 8.26% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 35.17% |
Male Unemployed | 30.66% |
Female Employed | 12.17% |
Male Employed | 9.99% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $66,855 | $83,873 |
Households | $52,049 | $69,553 |
Married Families | $85,814 | $103,186 |
Non Families | $36,449 | $48,654 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
35.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
36.7%
Male Marriage Rate
35.2%
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 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
34,750
Number of Veterans
30,197
Male Veterans
4,553
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Second Gulf War | 11,244 |
Vietnam | 10,500 |
First Gulf War | 9,150 |
Korea | 1,843 |
World War II | 496 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
35 to 54 | 9,445 |
75+ | 7,377 |
65 to 74 | 7,293 |
55 to 64 | 6,371 |
18 to 34 | 4,264 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 25,463 | 9.46% |
Hispanic | 8,548 | 4.93% |
2+ Races | 3,753 | 6.37% |
Black | 2,443 | 12.63% |
Other Race | 2,027 | 4.03% |
Native American | 561 | 4.43% |
Asian | 416 | 2.76% |
Islander | 87 | 9.69% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
10.11%
Veteran Poverty Rate
31.22%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
62%
Labor Force Participation
56.8%
Employment Rate
6.5%
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
46.1%
Born in Tucson
85.82%
Native Born
14.18%
Foreign Born
7.51%
Non Citizen
6.67%
Naturalized
85.82% of Tucson residents were born in the United States, with 46.1% having been born in Arizona. 7.51% 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 | 556,440 | 1,533 | 0.28% |
2028 | 554,907 | 1,534 | 0.28% |
2027 | 553,373 | 1,534 | 0.28% |
2026 | 551,839 | 1,533 | 0.28% |
2025 | 550,306 | 1,534 | 0.28% |
2024 | 548,772 | 1,533 | 0.28% |
2023 | 547,239 | 739 | 0.14% |
2022 | 546,500 | 5,283 | 0.98% |
2021 | 541,217 | -1,421 | -0.26% |
2020 | 542,638 | -6,323 | -1.15% |
2019 | 548,961 | 3,616 | 0.66% |
2018 | 545,345 | 3,717 | 0.69% |
2017 | 541,628 | 4,032 | 0.75% |
2016 | 537,596 | 1,912 | 0.36% |
2015 | 535,684 | 858 | 0.16% |
2014 | 534,826 | 1,879 | 0.35% |
2013 | 532,947 | 1,102 | 0.21% |
2012 | 531,845 | 1,199 | 0.23% |
2011 | 530,646 | 3,598 | 0.68% |
2010 | 527,048 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 486,699 | 81,309 | 20.06% |
1990 | 405,390 | 74,853 | 22.65% |
1980 | 330,537 | 67,604 | 25.71% |
1970 | 262,933 | 50,041 | 23.51% |
1960 | 212,892 | 167,438 | 368.37% |
1950 | 45,454 | 8,636 | 23.46% |
1940 | 36,818 | 4,312 | 13.27% |
1930 | 32,506 | 12,214 | 60.19% |
1920 | 20,292 | 7,099 | 53.81% |
1910 | 13,193 | 5,662 | 75.18% |
1900 | 7,531 | 2,381 | 46.23% |
1890 | 5,150 | -1,857 | -26.5% |
1880 | 7,007 | 3,783 | 117.34% |
1870 | 3,224 | -553,216 | -99.42% |