Maricopa County leads nation in population growth for 3rd straight year
Apr 18, 2019, 2:40 PM | Updated: 3:11 pm
(Facebook Photo/Downtown Phoenix, AZ)
(Facebook Photo/Downtown Phoenix, AZ)
PHOENIX – People continue flocking to metro Phoenix.
Maricopa County was the nation’s fastest-growing county for the third consecutive year in 2018, according to federal estimates released Thursday.
The U.S. Census Bureau said Maricopa County added 81,244 residents in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2018.
“Most of our population growth is coming in migration from people moving from the Northeast and the Midwest,” Eric Jay Toll, Phoenix community and economic development spokesman, told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
BREAKING: Maricopa County is once again the #1 county in the U.S. for population growth. Arizona is open for opportunity and the word is out! #OpenForOpportunity https://t.co/wdHyOwI8bx
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) April 18, 2019
Maricopa continued to be the fourth-largest U.S. county, trailing No. 3 Harris County, which includes the Houston area, by around 290,000 residents.
Harris was the third-fastest-growing county last year and was the only one to add more residents than Maricopa between 2010 and 2018.
“Arizona’s economy is booming. Paychecks are some of the fastest growing in the country. And we continue to provide an unbeatable quality of life,” Gov. Doug Ducey said in a press release.
California’s Los Angeles County and Illinois’ Cook County, which includes Chicago, are Nos. 1 and 2 in population.
In addition to Maricopa’s high standing, Greater Phoenix was determined to be the second-fastest-growing metro area last year, trailing only Dallas-Fort Worth.
Toll said he expects local growth to remain strong for the foreseeable future.
“You look around all the construction and all the new jobs that are projected, I think we’re going to maintain among the leaders,” Toll said.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ashley Flood contributed to this report.
