Phoenix, Arizona
Racial composition 1940 1970 1990 2010
White ( includes White Hispanics ) 92.3% 93.3% 81.7% 65.9%
Black or African American 6.5% 4.8% 5.2% 6.5%
Hispanic or Latino ( of any race ) n/a 12.7% 20.0% 40.8%
Asian 0.8% 0.5% 1.7% 3.2%
Non-Hispanic Whites n/a 81.3% 71.8% 46.5%
Demographics
Median Household Income across metro Phoenix ; the darker the green , the higher the income . [ 137 ] Percent of people living in poverty across metro Phoenix ; the darker the red , the higher the concentration of poverty [ 138 ] Historical population Census Pop .% ± 1870240—18801,708611.7% 18903,15284.5% 19005,54475.9% 191011,314104.1% 192029,053156.8% 193048,11865.6% 194065,41435.9% 1950106,81863.3% 1960439,170311.1% 1970581,57232.4% 1980789,70435.8% 1990983,40324.5% 20001,321,04534.3% 20101,445,6329.4% Est . 20191,680,992 [ 4 ] 16.3% U.S . Decennial Census [ 139 ] Phoenix is the sixth most populous city in the United States according to the 2010 United States Census , with a population of 1,445,632 , making it the most populous state capital in the United States . [ 140 ] Phoenix 's ranking as the sixth most populous city was a drop from the number five position it had held since the U. S. Census Bureau released population estimates on June 28 , 2007 . Those statistics used data from 2006 , which showed Phoenix 's population at 1,512,986 , which put it just ahead of Philadelphia . [ 140 ] In 2016 , Phoenix regained the position of 5th most populous city , with the census bureau estimating its population at 1,615,017 , edging out Philadelphia with a population of 1,567,872 . [ 141 ] After leading the U.S. in population growth for over a decade , the sub-prime mortgage crisis , followed by the recession , led to a slowing in the growth of Phoenix . There were approximately 77,000 people added to the population of the Phoenix metropolitan area in 2009 , which was down significantly from its peak in 2006 of 162,000 . [ 142 ] [ 143 ] Despite this slowing , Phoenix 's population grew by 9.4% since the 2000 census ( a total of 124,000 people ) , while the entire Phoenix metropolitan area grew by 28.9% during the same period . This compares with an overall growth rate nationally during the same time frame of 9.7% . [ 144 ] [ 145 ] Not since 1940–50 , when the city had a population of 107,000 , had the city gained less than 124,000 in a decade . Phoenix 's recent growth rate of 9.4% from the 2010 census is the first time it has recorded a growth rate under 24% in a census decade . [ 146 ] However , in 2016 , Phoenix once again became the fastest growing city in the United States , adding approximately 88 people per day during the preceding year . [ 141 ] The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) ( officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler MSA [ 147 ] ) , is one of 10 MSAs in Arizona , and was the 11th largest in the United States , with a 2018 U.S. Census population estimate of 4,857,962 , up from the 2010 Census population of 4,192,887 . Consisting of both Pinal and Maricopa counties , the MSA accounts for 65.5% of Arizona 's population . [ 144 ] [ 145 ] Phoenix only contributed 13% to the total growth rate of the MSA , down significantly from its 33% share during the prior decade . [ 146 ] Phoenix is also part of the Arizona Sun Corridor megaregion ( MR ) , which is the 10th most populous of the 11 MRs , and the 8th largest by area . It had the 2nd largest growth by percentage of the MRs ( behind only the Gulf Coast MR ) between 2000 and 2010 . [ 148 ] Downtown Phoenix from an airplane , 2011 The population is almost equally split between men and women , with men making up 50.2% of city 's citizens . The population density is 2,797.8 people per square mile , and the city 's median age is 32.2 years , with only 10.9 of the population being over 62 . 98.5% of Phoenix 's population lives in households with an average household size of 2.77 people . There were 514,806 total households , with 64.2% of those households consisting of families : 42.3% married couples , 7% with an unmarried male as head of household , and 14.9% with an unmarried female as head of household . 33.6% of those households have children below the age of 18 . Of the 35.8% of non-family households , 27.1% have a householder living alone , almost evenly split between men and women , with women having 13.7% and men occupying 13.5% . Phoenix has 590,149 housing units , with an occupancy rate of 87.2% . The largest segment of vacancies is in the rental market , where the vacancy rate is 14.9% , and 51% of all vacancies are in rentals . Vacant houses for sale only make up 17.7% of the vacancies , with the rest being split among vacation properties and other various reasons . [ 149 ] The city 's median household income was $ 47,866 , and the median family income was $ 54,804 . Males had a median income of $ 32,820 versus $ 27,466 for females . The city 's per capita income was $ 24,110 . 21.8% of the population and 17.1% of families were below the poverty line . Of the total population , 31.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line . [ 150 ] According to the 2010 Census , the racial breakdown of Phoenix was as follows : [ 151 ] White : 65.9% ( 46.5% non-Hispanic ) Black or African American : 6.5% ( 6.0% non-Hispanic ) Native American : 2.2% Asian : 3.2% ( 0.8% Indian , 0.5% Filipino , 0.5% Korean , 0.4% Chinese , 0.4% Vietnamese , 0.2% Japanese , 0.2% Thai , 0.1% Burmese ) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander : 0.2% Other race : 18.5% Two or more races : 3.6%
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city in Arizona, with 1,660,272 people (as of 2018[update]). It is also the fifth most populous city in the United States, and the only state capital with a population of more than one million residents. Phoenix is the anchor of the Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, which in turn is part of the Salt River Valley. The metropolitan area is the 11th largest by population in the United States, with approximately 4.73 million people as of 2017[update]. Phoenix is the seat of Maricopa County and the largest city in the state at 517.9 square miles (1,341 km2), more than twice the size of Tucson and one of the largest cities in the United States. Phoenix was settled in 1867 as an agricultural community near the confluence of the Salt and Gila Rivers and was incorporated as a city in 1881. It became the capital of Arizona Territory in 1889. It is in the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert and has a hot desert climate. Despite this, its canal system led to a thriving farming community with the original settler's crops remaining important parts of the Phoenix economy for decades, such as alfalfa, cotton, citrus, and hay. Cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper were known locally as the Five C's anchoring Phoenix's economy. These remained the driving forces of the city until after World War II, when high-tech companies began to move into the valley and air conditioning made Phoenix's hot summers more bearable. The city averaged a four percent annual population growth rate over a 40-year period from the mid-1960s to the mid-2000s.