Population 24,421 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South Phoenix
Household size in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.10 | 2.83 | 2.77 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.30 | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.25 | 2.91 | 2.82 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.09 | 2.80 | 2.70 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.07 | −0.03 |
Households in South Phoenix are large by national standards, averaging 3.09 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the northeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4 | 35.6 | 36.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.6 | 36.9 | 38.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.4 | 38.3 | 39.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.6 | 39.1 | 40.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +3.5 | +3.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 33.6, South Phoenix is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 29.4, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.4% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.5% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in South Phoenix (17.5%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 0.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in South Phoenix
Renters in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.8% | 32.8% | 32.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.2% | 37.7% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.0% | 36.6% | 35.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 40.4% | 33.4% | 32.6% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +0.6 pts | +0.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in South Phoenix rent their homes (40.4%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. More than a third of owners (36.0%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the south. The renter share is down 2.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 14.1% | 15.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 10.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 8.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.2 pts | −5.6 pts | −5.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in South Phoenix: 5.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 9.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1993 | 1988 | 1987 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1994 | 1989 | 1988 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1994 | 1990 | 1989 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1997 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in South Phoenix is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1997, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1993 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the northeast.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,141 | $1,123 | $1,043 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,164 | $1,158 | $1,078 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,248 | $1,342 | $1,227 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,799 | $1,927 | $1,736 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$658 | +$804 | +$694 | +$606 |
Rent in South Phoenix runs $1,799 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the Phoenix area overall ($1,927). Rent has climbed $658 a month since 2006–10, up 58%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in South Phoenix
Bachelor's degrees in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.9% | 27.8% | 26.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.6% | 28.5% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 31.1% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.7% | 35.0% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in South Phoenix (27.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.8% | 85.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.4% | 86.0% | 85.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.2% | 87.2% | 86.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.0% | 89.5% | 89.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in South Phoenix never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.2 points, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in South Phoenix
| Period | South Phoenix | Phoenix area | Arizona | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 9.3% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in South Phoenix than nationally: unemployment was 4.0%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
South Phoenix compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Phoenix | 3.09 | 33.6 | 17.5% | 40.4% | 5.7% | 1997 | $1,799 | 27.7% | 83.0% | 4.0% |
| South Mountain | 3.15 | 34.8 | 18.8% | 34.2% | 5.2% | 1990 | $1,629 | 23.3% | 77.1% | 5.2% |
| Downtown Phoenix | 2.98 | 28.8 | 24.5% | 79.3% | 10.7% | 1982 | $1,317 | 16.4% | 66.2% | 8.4% |
| West Phoenix | 3.67 | 29.4 | 25.4% | 36.1% | 5.3% | 1981 | $1,425 | 8.9% | 63.4% | 6.4% |
| Central Phoenix | 2.20 | 35.0 | 14.7% | 73.9% | 15.5% | 1984 | $1,475 | 30.0% | 78.8% | 7.9% |
| Ahwatukee | 2.44 | 43.3 | 8.1% | 29.6% | 7.4% | 1993 | $2,108 | 56.4% | 96.7% | 3.6% |
| Encanto | 2.07 | 37.2 | 9.6% | 58.8% | 11.2% | 1969 | $1,556 | 41.9% | 87.6% | 4.1% |
| Estrella | 3.61 | 32.1 | 22.3% | 34.0% | 5.2% | 1989 | $1,733 | 13.7% | 70.3% | 5.1% |
| Bronze Boot | 2.35 | 36.3 | 11.1% | 60.5% | 10.0% | 1967 | $1,473 | 35.7% | 84.4% | 7.7% |
| Wood Park | 2.57 | 33.8 | 19.3% | 64.5% | 4.2% | 1987 | $1,715 | 27.8% | 90.3% | 2.8% |
| Baseline-Hardy | 2.67 | 32.5 | 11.0% | 63.4% | 9.1% | 1986 | $1,708 | 30.0% | 77.9% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Bear Creek, Stockton, CA · Brentwood, Los Angeles, CA · Brightwood, Washington, DC · Campello, Brockton, MA · Outer Richmond, San Francisco, CA · South Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA · Sixteen Acres, Springfield, MA · Seminary Hill, Alexandria, VA · Sand Lake, Anchorage, AK · Roseway, Portland, OR
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up South Phoenix. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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