Drive through Buckeye, Queen Creek or Goodyear these days and it’s hard to miss the change. New neighborhoods continue to stretch into the desert, construction crews are busy building homes and roads, and schools and shopping centers are following close behind.
What were once open stretches of farmland or undeveloped desert have become master-planned communities filled with families seeking more space and newer homes.
The rapid transformation has reshaped not only the landscape but also the daily lives of residents as local governments work to keep pace with growing demands for infrastructure, public safety, parks and other services.
New U.S. Census Bureau data estimates show that growth across Arizona hasn’t slowed since the 2020 census. Instead, many of the state’s fastest-growing communities — particularly on the edges of metro Phoenix — are continuing to add thousands of new residents every year.
Numbers
The latest population estimates, which measure growth through 2025, show Buckeye, Surprise, Goodyear and Queen Creek among Arizona’s biggest gainers over the past five years. Phoenix also continued to grow, adding more than 57,000 residents during that time.
Buckeye posted one of the state’s largest increases, growing by nearly 34,000 residents between 2020 and 2025 to reach an estimated population of 125,445. Surprise added more than 32,000 people during the same period, while Queen Creek welcomed more than 30,000 new residents. Goodyear wasn’t far behind, adding just over 29,000 residents, per the census bureau.
Growth wasn’t limited to the Valley’s suburbs. Maricopa gained more than 20,000 residents over five years, while Marana also recorded a steady increase.
Census data shows Phoenix remains Arizona’s largest city by a wide margin. The state’s capital grew from just over 1.6 million residents in 2020 to an estimated 1.67 million in 2025.
The pace of growth also remained strong over the past year alone. Surprise and Goodyear each added roughly 7,700 residents between 2024 and 2025, while Queen Creek and Buckeye welcomed more than 6,500 new residents each.
Trends
For many of these cities, the growth reflects a familiar pattern. As home prices climbed in central Phoenix and other established communities, buyers increasingly looked farther west and southeast, where new subdivisions offered more space and relatively affordable housing.
At the same time, Arizona continued attracting new residents from across the country because of its expanding job market, warm climate and business-friendly economy. Many newcomers have relocated from higher-cost states, bringing with them remote jobs or seeking new employment opportunities in Arizona’s expanding technology, manufacturing and healthcare sectors.
The annual estimates come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program, which tracks population changes between the once-a-decade census. Instead of counting every resident, the bureau combines information from birth and death records, migration trends, housing construction, occupancy rates and other administrative data to estimate how communities are growing.
The estimates are updated each year and are widely used by local governments, planners and businesses to anticipate future needs, from road improvements and school construction to water planning and emergency services.
Together, the numbers paint a picture that many Arizonans see every day: more rooftops on the horizon, heavier traffic on once-quiet roads and communities racing to keep pace with the people choosing to call Arizona home.
While the continued influx of residents has helped fuel Arizona’s economy, it has also intensified conversations about housing affordability, transportation, water resources and whether rapidly growing communities can build the infrastructure needed to support another generation of growth.
Matt Loeschman has had two separate stints at Independent Newsmedia. He began as a reporter covering Peoria and later Surprise from 2000-2009. In 2017, he returned to Arizona and INI as the news editor of the Daily News-Sun (now the Phoenix Independent). He previously covered the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League for more than a decade.
Community: During high school football season since 2017, he contributes live postgame radio reports to the AzPreps 365 Friday Night Football Wrapup Show. He supports organizations such as Phoenix Children’s, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and the American Cancer Society.
Education: The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Journalism-News and Public Affairs.
Random Fact: He can sing and he has been fortunate to meet many famous people during his journalism career including First Lady Hillary Clinton, King of Country Music George Strait and Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Attended all 4 home games of the 2001 World Series.
Hobbies: Watching and playing a wide variety of sports, including golf, tennis, pickleball and softball. Playing PlayStation 5, working out, shopping and reading.
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