The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2023 population estimates Thursday showing nationwide trends, with counties in the South continuing to grow and those in the Northeast and Midwest losing population.
In Arizona, most counties saw their population hold steady or grow over the course of three years. Pinal County between Phoenix and Tucson saw the fastest growth, a jump of 12 percent. Yavapai and Mohave counties both saw steady population growth with about a 5 percent increase since 2020.
In all three of those counties the data suggest the uptick in residents is driven by migration.
Coconino County, however, saw a drop in population between 2020 and 2021, more significant than in any other Arizona county. Since then, Coconino County’s population numbers have begun to climb, driven by births outweighing deaths rather than the migration of new residents.