Read About Median Household Income in Tucson, Arizona MSA
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Median Household Income (2024)
In 2024, the inflation-adjusted median household income in the Tucson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was $70,315, well below both the U.S. and Arizona medians. Despite this gap, median household income in Tucson grew faster than the nation over the past five years. Among peer western MSAs, Tucson ranked near the bottom, ahead of only El Paso. In contrast, San Diego and Denver reported the highest median household incomes, exceeding $105,000.
Over the long term, Tucson has displayed an upward trend in median household income. Since 2000, Tucson has posted a 91.3% increase in inflation-adjusted median household income. More recently, between 2019 and 2024, Tucson had the fourth-fastest income growth among peer MSAs at 31.7%.
Why is it important?
Median household income is one of several measures used to gauge a region's economic well-being. It reflects the financial resources available to households. Higher household incomes are commonly associated with greater access to goods and services, housing stability, and financial security. Income levels are closely tied to employment levels, educational attainment, and the broader economic opportunities available within a region.
How do we compare?
In 2024, the median household income for Hispanic households in the Tucson MSA was $63,004, more than $8,000 below the national median for Hispanic households. Across most races and ethnicities in Tucson, the median household income falls short of the national median. The exception was Black or African American households, whose median income exceeded the national median.
Income gaps are also present within the region. In 2024, the median income for Hispanic households in Tucson was more than $12,000 lower than that of white, non-Hispanic households. Data for the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population were not available for the Tucson MSA in 2024 due to reliability issues.
Adults age 65 and older are the only age group in which Tucson outperformed the nation in median household income. In 2024, households age 65 and older reported a median income of $60,759, slightly above the U.S. median of $58,390. For younger age groups, incomes in Tucson lagged behind the nation. Tucson households in the 45–64 age group had a median household income of $84,938, nearly $13,000 below the U.S. median in 2024. Similarly, households in the 25–44 age group earned $12,893 less in Tucson than their national peers.
Among families with children under age 18 in the Tucson MSA, married-couple households had the highest median income in 2024 at $116,515. In comparison, male-headed households with no spouse present had a median income of $56,406, while female-headed households with no spouse reported a median household income of $37,993. The income gap between single-parent households is notable. Male-headed families with no spouse present earned $18,413 more than female-headed families with no spouse present. As is common across the U.S., married-couple families tend to report substantially higher median income than single-parent households, due to the possibility of dual wage earners.
What are the key trends?
Inflation-adjusted median household income in the Tucson MSA has generally risen since 2000. The overall long-term pattern in income growth had occasionally been disrupted by economic downturns. For example, during the Great Recession, the median household income in Tucson declined. The nation also experienced a decrease in median household income during the Great Recession, though it was less pronounced than in Tucson or Arizona.
More recently, income growth in Tucson has accelerated. Between 2019 and 2024, Tucson’s median household income increased by 31.7%, outpacing the national growth rate of 28.5% but lagging the state’s rate of 35.7%. Among peer western MSAs, Tucson posted the fourth-fastest growth over that period. The Phoenix MSA led the peer group with a 38.2% increase in median household income.
How is it measured?
Household income is the sum of income earned by individuals 15 years and older living in a household during the calendar year, whether they are related to the head of the household. A person living alone is also counted as a household. Income includes wages and salaries, transfer payments, child support, rental receipts, dividends, and interest, as well as other kinds of income routinely received. Median household income has been adjusted for inflation. Median refers to the midpoint of the income distribution, with half of households receiving income above the median and half below. It is important to note that a household often includes more than one income earner. Median Household Income data is from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is a nationwide rolling-sample survey that produces one and five-year estimates on demographic, social, housing, and economic measures. All data provided in this analysis utilized five-year estimates. Note that the ACS five-year estimates are produced over a five-year period and can only be compared to non-overlapping five-year estimates (for example: 2005-2009 and 2010-2014).
