Future reality

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1870	240		—
1880	1,708		%
1890	3,152		%
1900	5,544		%
1910	11,314		%
1920	29,053		%
1930	48,118		%
1940	65,414		%
1950	106,818		%
1960	439,170		%
1970	581,572		%
1980	789,704		%
1990	983,403		%
2000	1,321,045		%
2010	1,445,632		%
Est. 2014	1,537,058	<ref name="USCensusEst2014">Template:Cite web</ref>	%
Sources:<ref name="2014 Pop Estimate"/><ref name="Census Quickfacts">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Phoenix is the sixth most populous city in the United States according to the 2010 United States Census, with a population of 1,445,632, making it the most populous state capital in the United States.<ref name=azcentral>Template:Cite web</ref> Phoenix's ranking as the sixth most populous city was a drop from the number five position it had held since the U. S. Census Bureau released population estimates on June 28, 2007. Those statistics used data from 2006, which showed Phoenix's population at 1,512,986, which put it just ahead of Philadelphia.<ref name=azcentral/> The 2010 Census, while showing an overall increase from the official 2000 Census showed a drop in Phoenix's population from the 2007 estimates, allowing Philadelphia to regain the fifth spot.<ref name=azcentral />

After leading the nation in population growth for over a decade, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, followed by the recession, led to a slowing in the growth of Phoenix. There were approximately 77,000 people added to the population of the Phoenix metropolitan area in 2009, which was down significantly from its peak in 2006 of 162,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite this slowing, Phoenix's population grew by 9.4% since the 2000 census (a total of 124,000 people), while the entire Phoenix metropolitan area grew by 28.9% during the same period. This compares with an overall growth rate nationally during the same time frame of 9.7%.<ref name="phoenix.about.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=MSA>Template:Cite web</ref> Not since 1940–50, when the city had a population of 107,000, had the city gained less than 124,000 in a decade. Phoenix's recent growth rate of 9.4% from the 2010 census is the first time it has recorded a growth rate under 24% in a census decade.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref>

The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) (officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale MSA), is one of 10 MSAs in Arizona, and was the 14th largest in the United States, with a total population of 4,192,887 as of the 2010 Census. Consisting of parts of both Pinal and Maricopa counties, the MSA accounts for 65.5% of the total population of the state of Arizona.<ref name="phoenix.about.com"/><ref name=MSA/> Phoenix only contributed 13% to the total growth rate of the MSA, down significantly from its 33% share during the prior decade.<ref name="auto1"/> Phoenix is also part of the Arizona Sun Corridor megaregion (MR), which is the 10th most populous of the 11 MRs, and the 8th largest by area. It had the 2nd largest growth by percentage of the MRs (behind only the Gulf Coast MR) between 2000 and 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Downtown Phoenix from an airplane, 2011

The population is almost equally split between men and women, with men making up 50.2% of city's citizens. The population density is 2,797.8 people per square mile, and the median age of the city is 32.2 years, with only 10.9 of the population being over 62. 98.5% of Phoenix's population lives in households with an average household size of 2.77 people. There were 514,806 total households, with 64.2% of those households consisting of families: 42.3% married couples, 7% with an unmarried male as head of household, and 14.9% with an unmarried female as head of household. 33.6% of those households have children below the age of 18. Of the 35.8% of non-family households, 27.1% of them have a householder living alone, almost evenly split between men and women, with women having 13.7% and men occupying 13.5%. Phoenix has 590,149 housing units, with an occupancy rate of 87.2%. The largest segment of vacancies is in the rental market, where the vacancy rate is 14.9%, and 51% of all vacancies are in rentals. Vacant houses for sale only make up 17.7% of the vacancies, with the rest being split among vacation properties and other various reasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The median income for a household in the city was $47,866, and the median income for a family was $54,804. Males had a median income of $32,820 versus $27,466 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,110. 21.8% of the population and 17.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.4% of those under the age of 18 and 10.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the 2010 Census, the racial breakdown of Phoenix was as follows:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• White: 65.9% (46.5% non-Hispanic)
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 40.8% (35.9% Mexican, 0.6% Puerto Rican 0.5% Guatemalan, 0.3% Salvadoran, 0.3% Cuban)
• Black or African American: 6.5% (6.0% non-Hispanic)
• Native American: 2.6%
• Asian: 3.2% (0.8% Indian, 0.5% Filipino, 0.5% Korean, 0.4% Chinese, 0.4% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.2% Thai, 0.1% Burmese)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
• Other race: 0.1%
• Two or more races: 1.7%

Racial composition	2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1990<ref name="census"/>	1970<ref name="census"/>	1940<ref name="census"/>
White (includes White Hispanics)	65.9%	81.7%	93.3%	92.3%
Black or African American	6.5%	5.2%	4.8%	6.5%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	40.8%	20.0%	12.7%<ref name="fifteen"/>	n/a
Asian	3.2%	1.7%	0.5%	0.8%
Non-Hispanic Whites	46.5%	71.8%	81.3%<ref name="fifteen">From 15% sample</ref>	n/a

Phoenix's population has historically been predominantly white. From 1890 to 1970, over 90% of the citizens were white. In recent years, this percentage has dropped, reaching 65% In 2010. However, a significant portion of this decrease can be attributed to new guidelines put out by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1980, when a question regarding Hispanic origin was added to the census questionnaire. This has led to an increasing tendency for some groups to no longer self-identify as white, and instead categorize themselves as "other races".<ref name="census">Template:Cite web</ref> 20.6% of the population of the city was foreign born in 2010. Of the 1,342,803 residents over 5 years of age, 63.5% spoke only English, 30.6% spoke Spanish at home, 2.5% spoke another Indo-European language, 2.1% spoke Asian or Islander languages, with the remaining 1.4% speaking other languages. About 15.7% of non-English speakers reported speaking English less than "very well". The largest national ancestries reported were Mexican (35.9%), German (15.3%), Irish (10.3%), English (9.4%), Black (6.5%), Italian (4.5%), French (2.7%), Polish (2.5%), American Indian (2.2%), and Scottish (2.0%).<ref name=SSC>Template:Cite web</ref>

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, 66% of the population of the city identified themselves as Christians,<ref>Major U.S. metropolitan areas differ in their religious profiles, Pew Research Center</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while 26% claim no religious affiliation. The same study says that other religions (including Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism) collectively make up about 7% of the population. In 2010, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives, which conducts religious census each ten years, 39% of those polled in Maricopa county considered themselves a member of a religious group. Of those who expressed a religious affiliation, the area's religious composition was reported as 35% Catholic, 22% to Evangelical Protestant denominations, 16% Latter-Day Saints (LDS), 14% to nondenominational congregations, 7% to Mainline Protestant denominations, and 2% Hindu. The remaining 4% belong to other religions, such as Buddhism, and Judaism. While there was an overall increase in the number of religious adherents over the decade of 103,000, that did not keep pace with the overall population increase in the country during the same period, which increased by almost three-quarters of million individuals, resulting in the percentage drop. The largest aggregate increases were in the LDS (a 58% increase) and Evangelical Protestant churches (14% increase), while all other categories actually saw their numbers drop slightly, or remain static. Overall, the Catholic Church had an 8% drop, while Mainline Protestant groups saw a 28% decline.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>