Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety24#700/924
Economy85#140/925
Housing23#714/925
Health81#175/925
Healthcare57#396/923
Environment14#788/917
Education69#283/925
Infrastructure82#168/925
Community54#426/925
Leisure & amenities34#607/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Frequent mental distress · low15.5%
96/100Arizona 17.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Depression · low19.1%
95/100Arizona 20.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Adult smoking · low11.2%
94/100Arizona 13.4%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high33.5%
94/100Arizona 31.6%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,458
94/100Arizona $1,402United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
New business applications · high20.2 /1k
94/100Arizona 17.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Median Air Quality Index · high78
0/100Arizona 642025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
High ozone days · high39 days
1/100Arizona 27 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Hot days · high161 days
1/100Arizona 96 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high15.3%
1/100Arizona 7.6%2025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
1/100Arizona 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Social associations · low5.2 /10k
5/100Arizona 5.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
4,875,256 (2020) → 5,228,938 (2025)
+7.3%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Days with unhealthy airImproving
63.1% (2020) → 15.3% (2025)
−48 pts5 years
Child care cost burdenWorsening
15.8% (2020 & 2021) → 27.2% (2023 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Drought exposureImproving
87% (2021) → 79% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−8.7 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Mental health providersImproving
149 /100k (2021) → 213 /100k (2025)
+43%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
High ozone daysWorsening
28 days (2017) → 39 days (2022)
+39%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 9. 0 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Household income+38%$63,883 → $88,301
Arts & recreation+27%3.3 /10k → 4.2 /10k
Poverty−2.7 points13.7% → 11.0%
Child poverty−5.2 points19.6% → 14.3%
Gyms+23%1.0 /10k → 1.2 /10k

Declined9

Price / income+1.1×3.9× → 5.0×
Transit use−0.8 points1.9% → 1.1%
Overdose deaths+8.2%33.9 /100k → 36.7 /100k
Rent / income+2.1 points29.1% → 31.2%
Traffic deaths+25%11.0 /100k → 13.7 /100k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.3 /10k2020	4.2 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	83%
Average commute time	26.8 min2015-2019	26.4 min2020-2024	−0.4 min	Little change	74%
Average weekly wage	$1,1702020	$1,4582025	+25%	Improved	62%
Bachelor's degree or higher	31.5%2015-2019	35.3%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	74%
Broadband subscriptions	86.1%2015-2019	93.0%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Improved	23%
Child poverty rate	19.6%2015-2019	14.3%2020-2024	−5.2 points	Improved	79%
Distance to an airport	14 mi2020	14 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	8%
Drug overdose deaths	33.9 /100k2020	36.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+8.2%	Declined	23%
Effective property tax rate	0.63%2015-2019	0.45%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	68%
Firearm deaths	15.7 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+3.2%	Little change	44%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−3.4%	Little change	37%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	73%
High school diploma or higher	87.5%2015-2019	89.7%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Improved	63%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	5.0×2020-2024	+1.1×	Declined	10%
Homicide rate	7.1 /100k2020	5.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−29%	Improved	55%
Income adjusted for local prices	$50,3552019	$67,8072024	+35%	Improved	70%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4622015-2019	0.4562020-2024	−0.006	Little change	72%
Median household income	$63,8832015-2019	$88,3012020-2024	+38%	Improved	93%
New business applications	14.5 /1k2020	20.2 /1k2025	+39%	Improved	39%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−6.3%	Declined	55%
Poverty rate	13.7%2015-2019	11.0%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Improved	83%
Property crime rate	2,207 /100k2020	1,579 /100k2025	−28%	Improved	38%
Public libraries	0.2 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−5.3%	Declined	23%
Public transit commuters	1.9%2015-2019	1.1%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Declined	22%
Rent as share of income	29.1%2015-2019	31.2%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Declined	20%
Rent-burdened households	47.7%2015-2019	52.3%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Declined	20%
Restaurants and bars	5.8 /10k2020	6.1 /10k2025	+5.9%	Improved	68%
Suicide rate	16.1 /100k2020	17.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+7.2%	Declined	43%
Traffic deaths	11.0 /100k2015-2019	13.7 /100k2020-2024	+25%	Declined	23%
Unemployment rate	7.3%2020	3.8%2025	−3.5 points	Improved	65%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.2%2015-2019	12.5%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Little change	32%
Violent crime rate	457 /100k2020	414 /100k2025	−9.5%	Improved	40%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area itself moved +1.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,028,754 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,892,613 households (±4,686)

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area
United States share

Under $25k11%211,506
$25k–50k15%288,010
$50k–75k16%302,932

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,892,613 households (±4,686)

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area
United States share

Own67%1,260,206
Rent33%632,407

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,424,012 workers (±7,761)

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area
United States share

Drive alone65%1,577,011
Carpool9.6%233,658
Public transit1.1%26,093

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ employ 573,700 people. 9 pay a median above the US median and 1 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
General and Operations Managers81,520 jobs	81,520	$98,610US $105,770	−7%	1.52×
Retail Salespersons69,060 jobs	69,060	$35,960US $35,410	+2%	1.16×
Customer Service Representatives68,930 jobs	68,930	$46,410US $44,770	+4%	1.74×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides57,940 jobs	57,940	$36,930US $35,800	+3%	0.88×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand56,420 jobs	56,420	$44,950US $40,240	+12%	1.25×
Fast Food and Counter Workers54,900 jobs	54,900	$34,540US $31,200	+11%	0.93×
Registered Nurses53,700 jobs	53,700	$100,830US $97,550	+3%	1.04×
Cashiers48,660 jobs	48,660	$34,920US $32,880	+6%	1.03×
Stockers and Order Fillers42,650 jobs	42,650	$37,730US $37,330	+1%	0.99×
Waiters and Waitresses39,920 jobs	39,920	$47,530US $35,230	+35%	1.15×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ has 114,586 employer establishments, 225 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248), with 2,080,244 paid employees at an average annual pay of $64,869. The Census Bureau also counts 452,437 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 114,586; 452,437 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 225; US 248
Paid employees: 2,080,244
Average annual pay: $64,869; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	12,284	24.1	1.16×About typical	135,595	$72,161	24,309
Lessors of real estate	8,543	16.8	1.36×More than typical	38,418	$75,488	47,440
Restaurants and other eating places	8,254	16.2	0.88×About typical	187,820	$25,625	2,083
Specialty trade contractors	7,066	13.9	0.90×About typical	111,031	$70,226	25,679
Real estate agents and brokers	4,760	9.4	1.92×More than typical	10,041	$92,865	17,819
Management, scientific and technical consulting	4,241	8.3	1.24×About typical	33,257	$83,831	18,938
Limited-service restaurants	4,054	8	0.99×About typical	86,592	$22,223	877
Offices of physicians	3,897	7.7	1.18×About typical	40,303	$106,265	4,420
Offices of other health practitioners	3,804	7.5	1.23×About typical	23,141	$49,712	10,486
Services to buildings and dwellings	3,337	6.6	0.97×About typical	38,159	$40,343	24,232
Building equipment contractors	3,033	6	0.99×About typical	52,417	$75,471	5,566
Full-service restaurants	2,902	5.7	0.74×Fewer than typical	81,960	$30,304	784

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $11.6B on contracts performed in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area: $2,221 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $11.6B; +37% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,221; US $1,995
Sole-source: 34%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.7%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Health Agency$4.9B42%
Department of the Army$2.9B25%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$1.7B15%
Department of the Air Force$785.1M6.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$244.9M2.1%
Department of the Navy$195.1M1.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs$158.7M1.4%
Defense Information Systems Agency$82.8M0.7%

Top recipients

TRIWEST HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE CORP$4.9B42%
THE BOEING COMPANY$2.5B21%
FISHER SAND & GRAVEL CO$1.7B14%
GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC.$508M4.4%
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.$276.2M2.4%

Spending by fiscal year

7.2BFY2017
7.4BFY2018
7.6BFY2019
13.9BFY2020
8.1BFY2021
4.2BFY2022
7.3BFY2023
6B

Top industries (NAICS)

Insurance carriers · 5241$4.9B42%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$3.1B27%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.7B15%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$345M3.0%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$216M1.9%
Other transportation equipment manufacturing · 3369

Largest awards

TRICARE MANAGED CARE SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT, 5TH GENERATION WEST REGION$9.8B
TRIWEST HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE CORP· Maricopa County, AZ· Health & medical· Dec 22, 2022 – Jun 11, 2026· HT940223C0002
W58RGZ-16-C-0023 IS FOR THE AWARD OF ADVANCE PROCUREMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $184,930,000.00 TO SUPPORT LOT 7 FULL RATE PRODUCTION LONG LEAD ITEMS.$4.3B
THE BOEING COMPANY· Maricopa County, AZ· Other equipment & supplies· Oct 18, 2016 – Jun 4, 2026· W58RGZ16C0023
APACHE NEW BUILD ATTACK HELICOPTERS (AH)-64E FOR FOREIGN MILITARY SALE CUSTOMERS POLAND (QTY OF 96), EGYPT (QTY OF 2) AND KUWAIT (QTY OF 8). THIS INCLUDES ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES AND LONGBOW CREW TRAINERS (LCTS)$2.3B
THE BOEING COMPANY· Maricopa County, AZ· Other equipment & supplies· Nov 25, 2025 – May 18, 2026· W58RGZ26C0002

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $45B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area: $8,612 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $45B; +4.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,612; US $12,957
Loan face value: $3.9B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$18.5B41%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$15.4B34%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$2.8B6.2%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$1.6B3.6%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$1.5B3.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$1.4B3.1%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$750.8M1.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$552.7M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX, INC.$401.9M0.9%
PHOENIX, AZ
GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY$364.6M0.8%
PHOENIX, AZ
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY$318M0.7%
TEMPE, AZ
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY$174.8M0.4%
SCOTTSDALE, AZ
PHOENIX, CITY OF$134.6M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$22.1B49%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$16.7B37%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$3.2B7.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$1.6B3.6%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

46.4BFY2021
46.8BFY2022
44.8BFY2023
37.3BFY2024
43.2BFY2025
45BFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Arizona

Areas based in Arizona, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M38060

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined9

Metro and micro areas like Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Arizona

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined9

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought