Arizona Demographics

Who Lives in AZ?

“Will the people in Arizona be like me?” Though not often asked aloud, people do wonder. “Will there be other seniors?” “Do I need to know Spanish?” Here are a few Arizona demographics and facts to get you started (from U.S. Census Bureau: State and County QuickFacts).

The People

• State Population– 6,626,624.
• Almost 25 percent of Arizona residents are 18 years old or younger
• Male to female ratio (all ages) is about 50:50
• The largest cities in Arizona are Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler and Glendale.

The Seniors

• Overall, seniors (65 and over) make up 15.4 percent of Arizona’s population.
• The cities of  Scottsdale (13%) and Surprise  (19%) have the highest number of seniors.
• Scottsdale is the state’s 7th largest city. Surprise is the 10th.

Racial Diversity

Arizona’s racial diversity is one of the things that gives Arizona its character. If you remember, it was once part of “Old Mexico.” Mexican traditions and (gloriously) their foods flavor the state. So, yes, there are a lot of Hispanic people in Arizona. In the last Census, almost 30 percent of its people identified as being Hispanic or Latino. That is compared to the 17 percent from across the U.S. who claim Hispanic heritage.

Additionally, Arizona is home to the majority of the Navajo Nation and the Tohono O’odham Nation. These are the first and second largest Native American Reservations in the U.S.

Of course, racial diversity varies from region to region, but here are the the last numbers from the Census.

[table id=1 /] Note: People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.

Language

In the U.S. 20.5 percent of the population speaks a language other than English at home. In Arizona, that number jumps a bit to 26.9%. Aside from English, Spanish is the most common language spoken in Arizona. About 20 percent speak Spanish at home.

Other languages include Navajo (1.9%), German (.5%), and Chinese (.4%). Even though more than a quarter of people in the state speak a different language, the official langue in Arizona is English. This was voted on in 2006, with 74% of voters supporting Proposition 103, or the  “English as the Official Language Act.”