New data from the US Census Bureau show Arizona has a median household income of $77,315. The estimate, from the recently released American Community Survey, is a 3.6% increase from 2022. The new data also reports that 12.5% of Arizonans live below the federal poverty line.
Compared to other states, Arizona is solidly in the middle. The state is nearest to the overall US median household income of $77,719. States in the upper echelons of earning include California, Washington, Utah, and Colorado. At the opposite end of the spectrum are states stretching from Appalachia to the Mississippi basin.
Arizona’s 12.5% poverty rate is also in line with the U.S. While poverty rates in the past decade have fallen consistently in nearly every state, Arizona’s rate has fallen faster than most. In 2013, the state had a rate above 18% at a time when the nation’s rate was closer to 15%.
Here is a list of valley cities that are seeing the largest swings in poverty rates in 2023:
Declining Poverty Rates
1. Buckeye
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 4.1%
b. Decline from 2022: 7.2 points
2. San Tan Valley
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 5.3%
b. Decline from 2022: 2.3 points
3. Glendale
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 13.6%
b. Decline from 2022: 1.4 points
4. Queen Creek
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 2.4%
b. Decline from 2022: 1.1 points
5. City of Maricopa
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 8.5%
b. Decline from 2022: 0.9 points
Rising Poverty Rates
1. Suprise
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 10.7%
b. Increase from 2022: 6.5 points
2. Goodyear
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 7.4%
b. Increase from 2022: 2.8 points
3. Mesa
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 11.1%
b. Increase from 2022: 1.6 points
4. Chandler
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 8.8%
b. Increase from 2022: 1.2 points
5. Peoria
a. 2023 Poverty Rate: 7.9%
b. Increase from 2022: 0.76 points
Note: The American Community Survey 1-Year estimates released this past week only include cities and towns with populations over 65,000 in their estimates.
