Pima County, Arizona


Pima County is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 counties in the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the population is centered. The county is named after the Pima Native Americans, also known as Akimel O'odham, who are indigenous to this area.
Pima County includes the entirety of the Tucson Metropolitan Statistical Area, and it is the third largest metropolitan area in the Southwestern United States.
Pima County contains parts of the Tohono O'odham Nation, as well as all of the San Xavier Indian Reservation, the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Ironwood Forest National Monument and Saguaro National Park.
The vast majority of the county population lies in and around the city of Tucson, filling much of the eastern part of the county with urban development. As Arizona's second-largest city, Tucson is a major commercial and academic center. Other urban areas include the Tucson suburbs of Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita, South Tucson, and Green Valley. The rest of the county is sparsely populated; the largest towns are Sells, the capital of the Tohono O'odham Nation, and Ajo in the county's far western region.
WWW Official Site

History

Pima County, one of the four original counties in Arizona, was created by the 1st Arizona Territorial Legislature with land acquired through the Gadsden Purchase from Mexico in 1853. The original county consisted of all of Arizona Territory east of longitude 113° 20' and south of the Gila River. Soon thereafter, the counties of Cochise, Graham and Santa Cruz were carved from the original Pima County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Topographic features

Major highways

Adjacent counties and municipalities

National protected areas

Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan

The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan is Pima County's plan for desert conservation. The SDCP addresses natural and cultural resources, ranches, endangered species compliance and wildlife corridors.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,043,433. Of the residents, 20.0% were under the age of 18 and 21.9% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.8 males. 91.2% of residents lived in urban areas and 8.8% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 60.7% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 3.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 12.2% from some other race, and 16.7% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 35.7% of the population.
There were 427,021 households in the county, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 470,132 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.6% were owner-occupied and 36.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.7%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 980,263 people, 388,660 households, and 243,167 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 440,909 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 74.3% white, 3.5% black or African American, 3.3% American Indian, 2.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 12.3% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 34.6% of the population.
The largest ancestry groups were:
  • 30.8% Mexican
  • 16.2% German
  • 10.6% Irish
  • 9.9% English
  • 4.5% Italian
  • 3.1% French
  • 2.8% American
  • 2.7% Polish
  • 2.4% Scottish
  • 1.8% Scotch-Irish
  • 1.7% Norwegian
  • 1.6% Dutch
  • 1.6% Swedish
  • 1.1% Russian
Of the 388,660 households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.4% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 37.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,521 and the median income for a family was $57,377. Males had a median income of $42,313 versus $33,487 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,093. About 11.2% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 843,746 people, 332,350 households, and 212,039 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 366,737 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 75.1% White, 3.0% Black or African American, 3.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 13.3% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 29.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.8% reported speaking Spanish at home.
There were 332,350 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,758, and the median income for a family was $44,446. Males had a median income of $32,156 versus $24,959 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,785. About 10.5% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Pima County as the Tucson, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked the Tucson, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 53rd most populous metropolitan statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012.
The Office of Management and Budget has further designated the Tucson, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area as a component of the more extensive Tucson-Nogales, AZ Combined Statistical Area, the 53rd most populous combined statistical area and the 59th most populous primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012.

Government, policing, and politics

Pima County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors who set ordinances and run services for the areas that do not fall within any city or town's jurisdiction.
In Arizona, counties are creatures of the state, and do not have charters of their own. The county Board of Supervisors acts under powers delegated by state law, mainly related to minor ordinances and revenue collection. With few exceptions, these powers are narrowly construed. The state legislature devotes considerable time to local matters, with legislative approval required for many of the most basic local issues.

Board of Supervisors and elected positions

The Pima County Board of Supervisors is responsible for steering public policy in the region. The five-member board provides direction to the County Administrator, Jan Lesher, and the county's various departments as they work to ensure safe communities, nurture economic development, sustainably manage natural resources and protect public health. In addition to overseeing the delivery of a host of municipal services, from roads to parks and libraries and law enforcement, board members also are responsible for approving the county budget. Elected to four-year terms, board members also set the amount of taxes to be levied.
Along with the Board of Supervisors the Arizona State Constitution allows for 7 other county elected officials.

Pima County sheriff

The Pima County Sheriff's Department provides court protection, administers the county jail, provides coroner service, and patrols the unincorporated parts of Pima County. It is the seventh largest sheriff's department in the nation. Incorporated towns within the county with municipal police departments are Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, and Sahuarita.

Politics

Being home to a major population center and a major research university, Pima County is one of the most reliably Democratic counties in Arizona. After voting Democratic through 1930s and 1940s, it swung Republican following major population increase after World War II, becoming a Republican-leaning county. However, in 1964, it rejected Arizona's native son Barry Goldwater by seven points, who won statewide by one point. However, despite the county's Republican lean, Democrats would not win 40% of the vote only twice - in 1972, when George McGovern lost in a 49-state landslide and due to a balloting error in the county, the Socialist Workers Party came a distant third with 18% of the vote; and in 1980, when Jimmy Carter lost many votes to independent John B. Anderson. Following Bill Clinton's plurality victory by 12 points in 1992, all Democrats since 1996 have won the county by a majority and no Republican has come closer than six points in recapturing the county. In both 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump became the first Republican since Bob Dole in 1996 to fail to win 40% of the county's vote. However, Trump won 41.7% of the county's vote in his third presidential run in 2024.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Indian communities

Other communities

Ghost towns

County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Pima County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Population Municipal typeIncorporated
1† Tucson542,629City1775
2Casas Adobes70,973CDP
3Catalina Foothills52,401CDP
4Marana51,908Town1977
5Oro Valley47,070Town1974
6Sahuarita34,134Town1994
7Drexel Heights27,523CDP
8Green Valley22,616CDP
9Tanque Verde16,250CDP
10Flowing Wells15,657CDP
11Valencia West14,101CDP
12Vail13,604CDP
13Tucson Estates12,069CDP
14Tucson Mountains10,862CDP
15Picture Rocks9,551CDP
16Corona de Tucson9,240CDP
17Catalina7,551CDP
18Rincon Valley5,612CDP
19Avra Valley5,569CDP
20Three Points5,184CDP
21Summit4,724CDP
22South Tucson4,613City1940
23Ajo3,039CDP
24Sells2,121CDP
25Arivaca Junction970CDP
26J-Six Ranchettes647CDP
27Arivaca623CDP
28Elephant Head588CDP
29Santa Rosa474CDP
30Pisinemo359CDP
31Nelson249CDP
32Topawa233CDP
33San Miguel205CDP
34South Komelik176CDP
35Kleindale165CDP
36Anegam149CDP
37Maish Vaya129CDP
38Gu Oidak126CDP
39Why122CDP
40Ali Chuk119CDP
41Ali Chukson113CDP
42Cowlic105CDP
43Rillito94CDP
44Wahak Hotrontk88CDP
45Haivana Nakya72CDP
46Summerhaven71CDP
47Ali Molina61CDP
48Ventana52CDP
49Ak Chin50CDP
50Chiawuli Tak48CDP
51Comobabi44CDP
52Ko Vaya43CDP
53Charco27CDP
54Nolic12CDP
55Willow Canyon2CDP

Education

School districts with territory in the county, no matter how slight, include:
Unified:
Elementary:
Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind is based in Tucson.

Tourist attractions

Annual events

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
Tucson Rodeo

Locations of interest

County-Designated Historic Landmarks

  • Ferguson House, Hacienda Del Bosquito, Desert Treasures, Designated 2018
  • Harrenstein House, Designated 2018
  • Viewpoint, Christina and Earl J. Johnson House, Designated 2021
  • Jacobson House, Designated 2022