Maricopa County, Arizona

Not to be confused with Maricopa, Arizona or Mariposa County, California.

Maricopa County (/ˌmærɪˈkoʊpə/) is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568,^[1] or about 62% of the state's total, making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and the most populous county in Arizona, and making Arizona one of the nation's most centralized states. The county seat is Phoenix,^[2] the state capital and fifth-most populous city in the United States.

Maricopa County
County
The Maricopa County Courthouse and Old Phoenix City Hall, also known as the County-City Administration Building, in 2013
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°30′50″N 112°28′33″W
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Founded	February 14, 1871
Named for	Maricopa people
Seat	Phoenix
Largest city	Phoenix
Area
• Total	9,224 sq mi (23,890 km2)
• Land	9,200 sq mi (24,000 km2)
• Water	24 sq mi (60 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,420,568
• Estimate  (2023)	4,585,871
• Density	480/sq mi (190/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional districts	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th
Website	www.maricopa.gov

Maricopa County is the central county of the Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Office of Management and Budget renamed the metropolitan area in September 2018. Previously, it was the Phoenix–Mesa–Glendale metropolitan area, and in 2000, that was changed to Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale.

Maricopa County was named after the Maricopa people.^[3] Five Indian reservations are located in the county.^[4] The largest are the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community (east of Scottsdale) and the Gila River Indian Community (south of Chandler).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 9,224 sq mi (23,890 km²), of which 24 sq mi (62 km²) (0.3%) is covered by water.^[5] Maricopa County is one of the largest counties in the United States by area, with a land area greater than that of four other US states. From west to east, it stretches 132 miles (212 km), and 103 miles (166 km) from north to south.^[6] It is by far Arizona's most populous county, encompassing well over half of the state's residents. It is the largest county in the United States to have a capital city.

Adjacent counties

• La Paz County – west
• Yuma County – west
• Pima County – south
• Pinal County – southeast and south
• Gila County – east
• Yavapai County – north

National protected areas

• Sonoran Desert National Monument (part)
• Tonto National Forest (part)

Regional parks

Maricopa County has 14 regional parks:

• Adobe Mountain Desert Park
• Chaparral Lake
• Estrella Mountain Regional Park
• Hassayampa River Preserve
• Indian Mesa
• Lake Pleasant Regional Park
• Litchfield Park, Arizona
• Manistee Ranch
• McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
• Papago Park
• Phoenix Mountains Preserve
• Sahuaro Ranch
• San Tan Mountain Regional Park
• White Tank Mountain Regional Park.

It also has at least 21 protected areas:

• Big Horn Mountains Wilderness
• Daisy Mountain Preserve
• Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve
• Eagletail Mountains Wilderness
• Harquahala Mountains
• Hells Canyon Wilderness (Arizona)
• Hummingbird Springs Wilderness
• Mesa Grande
• Mummy Mountain (Arizona)
• National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
• Painted Rock Petroglyph Site
• Sierra Estrella
• Signal Mountain Wilderness
• Sonoran Desert National Monument
• St. Francis Catholic Cemetery
• Superstition Mountains
• Table Top Mountain (Arizona)
• Tonto National Forest
• Wabayuma Peak
• White Tank Mountain Regional Park
• Woolsey Peak

Flora and fauna

From 2009 to 2011, an inventory of all vascular plants growing along the Salt River (Arizona), Gila River, New River and Agua Fria River and their tributaries in the Phoenix metropolitan area was done.^[7] In October 2022, Maricopa County Environmental Services Department detected Dengue virus in mosquitoes they had trapped; in November the first locally transmitted case of dengue fever was reported in the County and Arizona state as a whole - previous dengue cases in Maricopa County had been related to travel.^[8]

Demographics

Median Household Income in 2015 across metro Phoenix; the darker the green, the higher the income^[9]

Percent of people living in poverty across metro Phoenix in 2016; the darker the red, the higher the concentration of poverty^[10]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	5,689		—
1890	10,986		93.1%
1900	20,457		86.2%
1910	34,488		68.6%
1920	89,576		159.7%
1930	150,970		68.5%
1940	186,193		23.3%
1950	331,770		78.2%
1960	663,510		100.0%
1970	971,228		46.4%
1980	1,509,175		55.4%
1990	2,122,101		40.6%
2000	3,072,149		44.8%
2010	3,817,117		24.2%
2020	4,420,568		15.8%
2023 (est.)	4,585,871	[11]	3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[1]

Racial and ethnic composition since 1960

Racial composition	2020[16]	2010[16][17]	2000[17]	1990[17]	1980[17]	1970[17]	1960[17]
White	59.8%	73.0%	77.3%	84.7%	86.6%	94.8%	94.5%
—Non-Hispanic	53.3%	58.7%	66.2%	77.1%	81.1%	-	-
Black or African American	5.8%	5.0%	3.7%	3.4%	3.1%	3.3%	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	30.6%	29.6%	24.8%	16.2%	13.1%	14.5%	-
Asian	4.6%	3.5%	2.1%	1.7%	-	-	0.3%
Native American	2.3%	2.1%	1.8%	1.7%	-	-	1.2%
Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.2%	0.1%	-	-	-	-
Mixed Race	13.6%	2.4%	2.9%	-	-	-	-

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 3,072,149 people, 1,132,886 households, and 763,565 families were living in the county. The population density was 334 people/sq mi (129 people/km²). The 1,250,231 housing units averaged of 136 per square mile (53/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.4% White, 3.7% African American, 1.9% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 12.0% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. About 29.5% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 19.1% reported speaking Spanish at home.^[18]

Ethnic origins in Maricopa County

Of the 1,132,886 households, 33.0% had children under 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were not families. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.67, and the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution in the county was 27.0% under 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,358, and for a family was $51,827. Males had a median income of $36,858 versus $28,703 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,251. About 8.0% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 3,817,117 people, 1,411,583 households, and 932,814 families were living in the county.^[19] The population density was 414.9/sq mi (160.2/km²). The 1,639,279 housing units averaged 178.2/sq mi (68.8/km²).^[20] The racial makeup of the county was 73.0% white (58.7% non-Hispanic white), 5.0% African American, 3.5% Asian, 2.1% American Indian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 12.8% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 29.6% of the population.^[19] The largest ancestry groups were:^[21]

• 25.6% Mexican
• 16.2% German
• 10.6% Irish
• 9.7% English
• 5.2% American
• 5.1% Italian
• 3.5% Spaniards
• 2.8% Polish
• 2.8% French
• 2.0% Scottish
• 1.9% Norwegian
• 1.8% Swedish
• 1.6% Dutch
• 1.5% Scotch-Irish
• 1.0% Russian

Of the 1,411,583 households, 35.1% had children under 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were not families, and 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.25. The median age was 34.6 years.^[19]

The median income for a household in the county was $55,054 and the median income for a family was $65,438. Males had a median income of $45,799 versus $37,601 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,816. About 10.0% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.^[22]

According to data provided by the United States Census Bureau in October 2015 and collected from 2009 to 2013, 73.7% of the population aged five years and over spoke only English at home, while 20.3% spoke Spanish, 0.6% spoke Chinese, 0.5% Vietnamese, 0.4% Tagalog, 0.4% Arabic, 0.4% German, 0.3% French, 0.3% Navajo, 0.2% Korean, 0.2% Hindi, 0.2% Italian, 0.1% Persian, 0.1% Russian, 0.1% Serbo-Croatian, 0.1% Telugu, 0.1% Polish, 0.1% Syriac, 0.1% Japanese, 0.1% spoke Romanian, and 0.1% spoke other Native North American languages at home.^[23]

Religion

In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Maricopa County were Catholics, who are organized under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix with 519,950 Catholics and 99 parishes, and 9 additional eastern rite Catholic parishes. This is followed by 242,732 LDS Mormons with 503 congregations, 213,640 non-denominational adherents with 309 congregations, 93,252 Assembly of God Pentecostals with 120 congregations, 73,207 Southern Baptists with 149 congregations, 35,804 Christian churches and churches of Christ Christians with 29 congregations, 30,014 Evangelical Lutherans with 47 congregations, 28,634 UMC Methodists with 55 congregations, 18,408 Missouri Synod Lutherans with 34 congregations, and 15,001 Presbyterians with 42 congregations. Altogether, 39.1% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information.^[24] In 2014, the county had 1,177 religious organizations, the fifth most out of all US counties.^[25]

Government, policing, and politics

Government

The governing body of Maricopa County is its board of supervisors. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors consists of five members chosen by popular vote within their own districts. As of 2023^[update] the board consists of four Republicans and one Democrat. Each member serves a four-year term, with no term limits.

Maricopa County sheriff

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office provides court protection, administers the county jail, and patrols the unincorporated areas of the county plus incorporated towns by contract.

Politics

For much of the time after World War II, Maricopa County was one of the more conservative urban counties in the United States. While the city of Phoenix has been evenly split between the two major parties, most of the rest of the county was strongly Republican. Until 2020, every Republican presidential candidate since 1952 had carried Maricopa County. This includes the 1964 presidential run of native son Barry Goldwater, who would not have carried his own state had it not been for a 21,000-vote margin in Maricopa County. Until 2020, it was the largest county in the country to vote Republican. From 1968 to 2016, Democrats held the margin within single digits only three times–in 1992, 1996, and 2016. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat in 72 years to win the county, which flipped Arizona to the Democratic column for the first time since 1996 and only the second time since 1948.^[26] Furthermore, Biden became the first presidential candidate to win more than one million votes in the county. This makes Maricopa County the third county in American history to cast more than one million votes for a presidential candidate. The county is also a statewide bellwether, voting for the statewide winning candidate in all elections except 1996.

Despite its consistent Republican allegiance since 1952, its fast-growing Hispanic population and influx of conservative retirees and Mormons, which were traditionally conservative voting blocs but were increasingly skeptical of President Donald Trump, signaled that it was a crucial bellwether in the 2020 election.^[27]

Voter Registration as of April 2024[update][28]
Party		Number of voters	Percentage
	Other/Independents	834,314	35.18%
	Republican	835,409	35.23%
	Democratic	682,927	28.79%
	Libertarian Party	18,824	0.8%
Total		2,371,474	100.00%

United States presidential election results for Maricopa County, Arizona^[29]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	995,665	47.96%	1,040,774	50.13%	39,647	1.91%
2016	747,361	47.67%	702,907	44.83%	117,566	7.50%
2012	749,885	54.30%	602,288	43.61%	28,786	2.08%
2008	746,448	54.43%	602,166	43.91%	22,756	1.66%
2004	679,455	56.86%	504,849	42.25%	10,657	0.89%
2000	479,967	53.23%	386,683	42.88%	35,049	3.89%
1996	386,015	47.22%	363,991	44.53%	67,426	8.25%
1992	360,049	41.06%	285,457	32.56%	231,326	26.38%
1988	442,337	64.90%	230,952	33.89%	8,229	1.21%
1984	411,902	71.98%	154,833	27.06%	5,538	0.97%
1980	316,287	64.97%	119,752	24.60%	50,795	10.43%
1976	258,262	61.66%	144,613	34.53%	15,966	3.81%
1972	244,593	69.29%	95,135	26.95%	13,272	3.76%
1968	162,262	59.08%	86,204	31.39%	26,185	9.53%
1964	143,114	53.94%	122,042	46.00%	170	0.06%
1960	127,090	59.37%	86,834	40.57%	135	0.06%
1956	92,140	62.96%	54,010	36.91%	191	0.13%
1952	77,249	60.57%	50,285	39.43%	0	0.00%
1948	36,585	46.31%	40,498	51.27%	1,909	2.42%
1944	24,853	43.41%	32,197	56.23%	208	0.36%
1940	22,610	38.93%	35,055	60.36%	414	0.71%
1936	13,671	28.71%	32,031	67.28%	1,908	4.01%
1932	15,086	34.07%	28,601	64.59%	593	1.34%
1928	20,089	62.25%	12,146	37.64%	34	0.11%
1924	10,611	44.66%	9,177	38.63%	3,970	16.71%
1920	11,336	56.23%	8,825	43.77%	0	0.00%
1916	5,747	39.26%	7,634	52.14%	1,259	8.60%
1912	642	11.32%	2,606	45.97%	2,421	42.71%

Despite its political leanings at the time, Maricopa County voted against Proposition 107 in the 2006 election. This referendum, designed to ban gay marriage and restrict domestic partner benefits, was rejected by a 51.6–48.4% margin within the county, and statewide by a similar margin. Two years later, however, a majority of county residents voted to pass a more limited constitutional amendment Proposition 102 to ban same-sex marriage but not state-recognized civil unions or domestic partnerships. The amendment was later invalidated by the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which declared that same-sex marriage is a fundamental right in the United States.

Unlike cities and towns in Arizona, counties are politically and legally subordinate to 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 chairperson of the board presides for a one-year term, selected by the board members during a public hearing.

The county sheriff, county attorney, county assessor, county treasurer, superintendent of schools, county recorder, constables, justices of the peace, and clerk of the Superior Court are elected by the people. Retention of Superior Court judges is also determined by popular vote.

The county's dominant political figure for over two decades (from 1993 to 2017) was Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who called himself "America's Toughest Sheriff" and gained national notoriety for his flamboyant and often controversial practices and policies.^[30]

Maricopa County is home to 62 percent of the state's population and therefore dominates Arizona's politics. For example, in the 2018 Senate election, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema carried the county en route to becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Arizona since 1988.^[31] She won the county by over 60,000 votes, more than enough for the victory; she won statewide by 55,900 votes.^[32] All but one of the state's nine congressional districts include part of the county, and five of the districts have their population center located there. Most of the state's prominent elected officials live in the county. Further underlining Maricopa County's political dominance, Biden's margin of 45,109 votes was more than enough to carry the state; he only won Arizona by 10,457 votes.

Elected officials

United States Congress

District		Name	Party	First elected [lower-alpha 1]	Area(s) represented
United States Senate
	Class I Senator	Kyrsten Sinema	Independent	2018	At Large
	Class III Senator	Mark Kelly	Democratic	2020
United States House of Representatives
	1	David Schweikert	Republican	2010	Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale
	2	Eli Crane	Republican	2022	Gila River Indian Community
	3	Ruben Gallego	Democratic	2014	Glendale, Phoenix
	4	Greg Stanton	Democratic	2018	Chandler, Mesa, Phoenix, Tempe
	5	Andy Biggs	Republican	2016	Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek
	7	Raul Grijalva	Democratic	2002	Avondale, Gila Bend, Goodyear, Phoenix
	8	Debbie Lesko	Republican	2018	Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix, Surprise
	9	Paul Gosar	Republican	2010	Buckeye, El Mirage, Glendale, Goodyear, Surprise

1. Due to redistricting in 2012, many of the Representatives listed were first elected to a different district.

The 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th districts are all centered in Maricopa County. The 2nd and 9th are centered in rural Arizona, while the 7th is primarily Tucson-based.

Board of Supervisors

Main article: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

Elected county officials

Party		Office	Name	First elected	Reference
	Republican	Assessor	Eddie Cook	2020†	[33]
	Republican	Clerk of the Superior Court	Jeff Fine	2018†	[34]
	Republican	County Attorney	Rachel Mitchell	2022†	[35]
	Republican	County Recorder	Stephen Richer	2020	[36]
	Republican	County School Superintendent	Steve Watson	2016	[36]
	Democratic	Sheriff	Paul Penzone	2016	[36]
	Republican	Treasurer	John Allen	2020	[36]

†Member was originally appointed to the office.

Education

• Maricopa County Library District operates the county libraries in Maricopa County.
• The Maricopa County School Superintendent is charged with the general conduct and supervision of the public school system in Maricopa County. The superintendent is one of six county-wide elected officials, elected by the voters of Maricopa County every four years. Since the inception of the office, there have been thirteen Maricopa County School Superintendents. The incumbent, Steve Watson, took office January 1, 2017.

K-12 schools

School districts with territory in the county (no matter how slight, even if the administration and schools are in other counties) include:^[37]

Unified:

• Cave Creek Unified School District
• Chandler Unified School District
• Deer Valley Unified District
• Dysart Unified School District
• Fountain Hills Unified School District
• Gila Bend Unified School District
• Gilbert Unified School District
• Higley Unified School District
• Mesa Unified School District
• Nadaburg Unified School District
• Paradise Valley Unified School District
• Peoria Unified School District
• Queen Creek Unified School District
• Saddle Mountain Unified School District
• Scottsdale Unified School District
• Wickenburg Unified School District

Secondary:

• Agua Fria Union High School District
• Buckeye Union High School District
• Glendale Union High School District
• Phoenix Union High School District
• Tempe Union High School District
• Tolleson Union High School District

Elementary:

• Aguila Elementary School District
• Alhambra Elementary School District
• Arlington Elementary School District
• Avondale Elementary School District
• Balsz Elementary School District
• Buckeye Elementary School District
• Cartwright Elementary School District
• Creighton Elementary School District
• Fowler Elementary School District
• Glendale Elementary School District
• Isaac Elementary School District
• Kyrene Elementary School District
• Laveen Elementary School District
• Liberty Elementary School District
• Litchfield Elementary School District
• Littleton Elementary School District
• Madison Elementary School District
• Mobile Elementary School District
• Morristown Elementary School District
• Murphy Elementary School District
• Osborn Elementary School District
• Palo Verde Elementary School District
• Paloma School District
• Pendergast Elementary School District
• Phoenix Elementary School District
• Riverside Elementary School District
• Roosevelt Elementary School District
• Sentinel Elementary School District
• Tempe School District
• Tolleson Elementary School District
• Union Elementary School District
• Washington Elementary School District
• Wilson Elementary School District

There is also a state-operated school, Phoenix Day School for the Deaf.

The Phoenix Indian School was formerly in the county.

Transportation

Further information: Metropolitan Phoenix Freeways

Major highways

• Interstate 8
• Interstate 10
• Interstate 17
• U.S. Route 60
• Historic U.S. Route 80
• U.S. Route 93
• Loop 101
• Loop 202
• Loop 303
• State Route 24
• State Route 51
• State Route 71
• State Route 74
• State Route 85
• State Route 87
• State Route 143
• State Route 347

Air

The major primary commercial airport of the county is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

Other airports located in the county include:

• Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa (AZA)
• Scottsdale Municipal Airport in Scottsdale (SCF)
• Deer Valley Airport in Deer Valley Village in Phoenix (DVT)
• Chandler Municipal Airport in Chandler (CHD)
• Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Goodyear (GYR)
• Glendale Municipal Airport in Glendale (GEU)
• Buckeye Municipal Airport in Buckeye (BXK)
• Falcon Field in Mesa (MSC)
• Gila Bend Municipal Airport in Gila Bend (E63)
• Wickenburg Municipal Airport in Wickenburg (E25)

Rail

In terms of freight rail, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad serve the county.

In terms of passenger rail, greater Phoenix is served by a light rail system. The county has no other passenger rail transport as Amtrak's Sunset Limited, which served Phoenix until June 2, 1996, has its closest stop in Maricopa in neighboring Pinal County. The train connects Maricopa to Tucson, Los Angeles, and New Orleans three times a week. However, it does not stop in Phoenix itself.

Communities

Cities

• Apache Junction (mostly in Pinal County)
• Avondale
• Buckeye
• Chandler
• El Mirage
• Glendale
• Goodyear
• Litchfield Park
• Mesa
• Peoria (partly in Yavapai County)
• Phoenix (county seat)
• Scottsdale
• Surprise
• Tempe
• Tolleson

Towns

• Carefree
• Cave Creek
• Fountain Hills
• Gila Bend
• Gilbert
• Guadalupe
• Paradise Valley
• Queen Creek (partly in Pinal County)
• Wickenburg (partly in Yavapai County)
• Youngtown

Census-designated places

• Aguila
• Anthem
• Arlington
• Circle City
• Citrus Park
• Gila Crossing
• Kaka
• Komatke
• Maricopa Colony
• Morristown
• New River
• Rio Verde
• St. Johns
• Sun City
• Sun City West
• Sun Lakes
• Theba
• Tonopah
• Wintersburg
• Wittmann
• Willo

Unincorporated communities

• Chandler Heights
• Co-op Village
• Desert Hills
• Fort McDowell
• Higley
• Laveen
• Liberty
• Mobile
• Palo Verde
• Rainbow Valley
• Sunflower
• Tortilla Flat
• Waddell

Ghost towns

• Agua Caliente
• Alma
• Angel Camp
• Marinette
• Vulture City

Native American communities

• Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
• Gila River Indian Community
• Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community
• Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation

County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Maricopa County.^[38][39]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Population (2020 Census)	Population (2021 Estimate)	Municipal type	Incorporated
1	Phoenix †	1,608,139	1,624,569	City	1881
2	Mesa	504,258	509,475	City	1878 (founded)
3	Chandler	275,987	279,458	City	1920
4	Gilbert	267,918	273,136	Town	1920
5	Glendale	248,325	249,630	City	1910
6	Scottsdale	241,361	242,753	City	1951
7	Peoria (partially in Yavapai County)	190,985	194,917	City	1954
8	Tempe	180,587	184,118	City	1894
9	Surprise	143,148	149,191	City	1960
10	Goodyear	95,294	101,733	City	1946
11	Buckeye	91,502	101,315	City	1929
12	Avondale	89,334	90,564	City	1946
13	Queen Creek (partially in Pinal County)	59,519	66,346	Town	1990
14	Sun City	39,931	--	CDP
15	El Mirage	35,805	36,016	City	1951
16	Sun City West	25,806	--	CDP
17	Fountain Hills	23,820	23,819	Town	1989
18	Anthem	23,190	--	CDP
19	New River	17,290	--	CDP
20	Sun Lakes	14,868	--	CDP
21	Paradise Valley	12,658	12,682	Town	1961
22	Wickenburg (partially in Yavapai County)	7,474	7,695	Town	1909
23	Tolleson	7,216	7,295	City	1929
24	Youngtown	7,056	7,012	Town	1960
25	Litchfield Park	6,847	6,942	City	1987
26	Guadalupe	5,322	5,307	Town	1975
27	Citrus Park	5,194	--	CDP
28	Cave Creek	4,892	5,015	Town	1986
29	Carefree	3,690	3,685	Town	1984
30	Rio Verde	2,210	--	CDP
31	Gila Bend	1,892	1,887	Town	1962
32	Komatke	1,013	--	CDP
33	Maricopa Colony	854	--	CDP
34	St. Johns	690	--	CDP
35	Wittmann	684	--	CDP
36	Gila Crossing	636	--	CDP
37	Aguila	565	--	CDP
38	Morristown	186	--	CDP
39	Arlington	150	--	CDP
40	Theba	111	--	CDP
41	Kaka	83	--	CDP
42	Wintersburg	51	--	CDP
43	Tonopah	23	--	CDP

Climate

Maricopa County Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     7     19 5     6     23 6     18     31 9     3     40 14     3     49 20     1     45 24     29     47 28     39     45 27     46     48 24     4     40 15     15     29 8     21     19 2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: [40] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.3     66 41     0.2     73 43     0.7     88 48     0.1     104 57     0.1     120 68     0     113 75     1.1     117 82     1.5     113 81     1.8     118 75     0.2     104 59     0.6     84 46     0.8     66 36 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Economy

In 2019, the largest employers in Maricopa County were:^[41]

#	Employer	# of employees
1	Banner Health	27,650
2	State of Arizona	23,950
3	Walmart	16,870
4	Frys Food Stores	15,170
5	Wells Fargo	13,790
6	Maricopa County	13,350
7	City of Phoenix	12,190
8	Intel Corporation	11,410
9	Arizona State University	10,950
10	HonorHealth	9,430
11	JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association	9,310
12	Bank of America	9,180
13	Dignity Health	9,100
14	Amazon	9,050
15	Mesa Unified School District 4	8,500
16	Honeywell	8,450
17	United States Department of the Air Force	7,720
18	Home Depot	7,420
19	State Farm Insurance	7,420
20	United States Postal Service	7,260

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2019 the employment of Maricopa County in the following sectors was:^[42]

Sector	Number of jobs	Percent	National percent
Health care and social assistance	312,385	11.2%	11.3%
Retail trade	271,802	9.8%	9.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	249,786	9.0%	6.2%
Finance and insurance	226,934	8.2%	5.4%
Accommodation and food services	204,917	7.4%	7.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	200,508	7.2%	7.2%
Construction	172,119	6.2%	5.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing	169,363	6.1%	4.8%
Local government	152,939	5.5%	7.1%
Other services (except government)	140,788	5.1%	5.8%
Manufacturing	137,444	4.9%	6.7%
Transportation and warehousing	134,151	4.8%	4.5%
Wholesale trade	91,114	3.3%	3.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	64,117	2.3%	2.4%
Educational services	63,445	2.3%	2.4%
State government	49,051	1.8%	2.7%
Information	48,195	1.7%	1.7%
Management of companies and enterprises	35,917	1.7%	1.4%
Federal civilian	21,366	0.8%	1.4%
Military	14,632	0.5%	1.0%
Utilities	8,229	0.3%	0.3%
Farming	6,237	0.2%	1.3%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	5,356	0.2%	0.6%
Forestry, fishing, and related activities	2,994	0.1%	0.5%
Total	2,783,679	100%	100%

Maricopa produces far more Brassica than anywhere else in the state, including far more cabbage,^[43]: 288 collards,^[43]: 289 and mustard greens,^[43]: 292 and far more eggplant^[43]: 290 and greenhouse production of tomato.^[43]: 311 Slightly more kale is grown here than Yavapai,^[43]: 291 and a close second to Yuma for broccoli,^[43]: 288 cauliflower,^[43]: 289 and spinach,^[43]: 294 and to Yavapai for field tomato.^[43]: 295 The county is top for parsley and is tied with Pima for other fresh herbs.^[43]: 290 Some of the state's melon, okra, and bell pepper are also grown here.^[43]: 289

Almost all the apricot,^[43]: 298 freestone peach,^[43]: 300 persimmon,^[43]: 301 and nectarine^[43]: 299 in the state are grown here. The county also ties for the highest amount of cling peach with Cochise,^[43]: 300 along with Pima produces almost all the pomegranate,^[43]: 302 and grows most of the kumquat.^[43]: 302 Maricopa's farms grow a middling amount of fig,^[43]: 299 grape (Vitis spp. including V. vinifera),^[43]: 299 and pear (Pyrus spp.) other than Bartlett.^[43]: 300 A small amount of plum is also produced here.^[43]: 301

All of the boysenberry,^[43]: 307 half of the elderberry (along with Yavapai),^[43]: 307 and a small amount of the state's blackberry^[43]: 307 and strawberry^[43]: 308 are harvested here.

A large part of the vegetable seed in Arizona is grown here.^[43]: 310

See also

• Arizona portal

• 2021 Maricopa County presidential ballot audit
• History of Phoenix, Arizona
• Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
• Maricopa Trail
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Maricopa County, Arizona
• USS Maricopa County (LST-938)
• White Tank Mountain Regional Park

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 199.
4. Indian Reservations in the Continental United States, Bureau of Indian Affairs on National Park Service website. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
6. "Quick Facts about Maricopa County". Maricopa County, Ariz. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
7. Darin Jenke (April 2011). "The Phoenix Four Rivers Flora, Maricopa County, Arizona" (PDF). Retrieved November 20, 2022.
8. "Public Health Conducting Dengue Surveillance in One Neighborhood". Maricopa County, AZ. November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
9. "Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2016 Inflation-adjusted Dollars)". American Fact Finder. US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
10. "Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months". American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
11. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
14. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
15. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
16. "Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census". Census.gov. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
17. "Account Management - Social Explorer".
18. "Language Map Data Center". apps.mla.org.
19. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
20. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
21. "DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
22. "DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
23. "Table 2. Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over for Maricopa County, AZ: 2009-2013". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
24. "County Membership Report Maricopa County (Arizona)". The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
25. "Social Capital Variables Spreadsheet for 2014". PennState College of Agricultural Sciences, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
26. Merica, Dan (November 13, 2020). "Biden carries Arizona, flipping a longtime Republican stronghold". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2020. The Democratic victory – declared days after CNN projected Biden's win in the presidential race – was anchored by Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and nearly 60% of all people in the state. Maricopa is the fastest-growing county in the country, transforming over the last two decades into a sprawling mass of metropolitan hubs, sun-scorched planned communities and bustling strip malls.
27. Wasserman, David (October 6, 2020). "Opinion | The 10 Bellwether Counties That Show How Trump Is in Serious Trouble". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
28. "Voter Registration Statistics" (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State Elections Bureau. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
29. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
30. Joseph M. Arpaio Archived June 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2007.
31. Romero, Simon (November 13, 2018). "How Kyrsten Sinema Won Her Senate Seat and Pulled Off a Historic Arizona Triumph". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
32. "2018 Arizona Senate election results". CNN.
33. Eddie Cook Maricopa County Assessor. "Maricopa County Assessor's Office". Mcassessor.maricopa.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
34. "Clerk of the Superior Court of Maricopa County". www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
35. Jenkins, Jimmy (April 20, 2022). "Rachel Mitchell appointed interim Maricopa County attorney". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
36. ":: Bad Request ::" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022.
37. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Maricopa County, AZ" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022. - Text list
38. "Decennial Census by Decades". The United States Census Bureau.
39. "2010 Census Block Maps - Geography - U.S. Census Bureau". Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
40. "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
41. "Business, Jobs, and Industry Explorer". azmag.gov.
42. "CAEMP25N Total Full-Time and Part-Time Employment by NAICS Industry 1/". Bureau of Economic Analysis.
43. "National Agricultural Statistics Service - 2017 Census of Agriculture - Volume 1, Chapter 1: State Level Data". USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2022.

Further reading

• Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office History and Pictorial. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing. Co., 2005.

External links

• Official website
• Geographic data related to Maricopa County, Arizona at OpenStreetMap
• Maricopa County Chamber of Commerce
• "Maricopa County Parks & Recreation". www.maricopacountyparks.net. Retrieved November 20, 2022.

33°30′50″N 112°28′33″W