Is being in an area of Arizona that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Phoenix and Tucson, while others want peace and quiet like in Thatcher and Benson, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Arizona have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Grand Canyon State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Arizona For 2024
What’s the fastest growing city in Arizona for 2024? Based on the most recent ACS data, Queen Creek ranks as the fastest-growing city in Arizona. If you happen to be a resident of Queen Creek, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Arizona grow like weeds.
For more Arizona state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Arizona
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arizona
- Most Dangerous Cities In Arizona
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Arizona For 2024
1. Queen Creek
/10
Population: 61,788
Population 2010: 23,055
Percent Growth 168.0%
Absolute Growth: 38,733
More on Queen Creek: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
2. Maricopa
/10
Population: 59,605
Population 2010: 34,809
Percent Growth 71.2%
Absolute Growth: 24,796
More on Maricopa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Goodyear
/10
Population: 97,542
Population 2010: 57,869
Percent Growth 68.6%
Absolute Growth: 39,673
More on Goodyear: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Marana
/10
Population: 52,542
Population 2010: 31,443
Percent Growth 67.1%
Absolute Growth: 21,099
More on Marana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Sahuarita
/10
Population: 34,238
Population 2010: 21,607
Percent Growth 58.5%
Absolute Growth: 12,631
More on Sahuarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. San Luis
/10
Population: 35,189
Population 2010: 23,829
Percent Growth 47.7%
Absolute Growth: 11,360
More on San Luis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Surprise
/10
Population: 145,591
Population 2010: 103,767
Percent Growth 40.3%
Absolute Growth: 41,824
More on Surprise: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Gilbert
/10
Population: 267,267
Population 2010: 195,046
Percent Growth 37.0%
Absolute Growth: 72,221
More on Gilbert: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Coolidge
/10
Population: 14,175
Population 2010: 10,817
Percent Growth 31.0%
Absolute Growth: 3,358
More on Coolidge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Litchfield Park
/10
Population: 6,794
Population 2010: 5,271
Percent Growth 28.9%
Absolute Growth: 1,523
More on Litchfield Park: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Grand Canyon State for 2024
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2022)
We ranked all 55 Arizona cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Grand Canyon State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Arizona.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Arizona with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Arizona, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Arizona are led by Queen Creek which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Arizona are Queen Creek, Maricopa, Goodyear, Marana, Sahuarita, San Luis, Surprise, Gilbert, Coolidge, and Litchfield Park.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Winslow
- Nogales
- Douglas
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Fastest Growing Places In Arizona For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Creek | 61,788 | 23,055 | 168.0% | 38,733 |
| 2 | Maricopa | 59,605 | 34,809 | 71.2% | 24,796 |
| 3 | Goodyear | 97,542 | 57,869 | 68.6% | 39,673 |
| 4 | Marana | 52,542 | 31,443 | 67.1% | 21,099 |
| 5 | Sahuarita | 34,238 | 21,607 | 58.5% | 12,631 |
| 6 | San Luis | 35,189 | 23,829 | 47.7% | 11,360 |
| 7 | Surprise | 145,591 | 103,767 | 40.3% | 41,824 |
| 8 | Gilbert | 267,267 | 195,046 | 37.0% | 72,221 |
| 9 | Coolidge | 14,175 | 10,817 | 31.0% | 3,358 |
| 10 | Litchfield Park | 6,794 | 5,271 | 28.9% | 1,523 |