CensusEasy
CITY · 2020 ACS

Payson

Arizona · 16,351 residents · 19.3 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Compare
The short version

Payson is home to 16,351 people in Arizona. At a median age of 58.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Owners hold 74% of the housing stock. 4% of locals were born outside the United States. The average commute runs 17 minutes. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 58.8
US median: 38.8
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 37%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

16,351
+20%since 2000
from 13,620 in 2000
1990 – 2025
58.8
+20%since 2000
from 48.9 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
19.3 sq mi
Population, 19902024
8K10K12K15K17K19902000201020202024Payson
202417K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 53.7%(601)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.2%(683)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 144.2%(694)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 194.4%(712)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 243.4%(549)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 347.6%(1,243)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 447.7%(1,262)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 549.1%(1,492)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6417.8%(2,910)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7421.9%(3,576)
US avg: 10%
75 to 8412%(1,956)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over4.1%(673)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$55,303
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,638 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
$34,642
+78%since 2000
from $19,513 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
31.3%
+9.7 ptssince 2009
from 21.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
9.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 9.9% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information16%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade9.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services7.1%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration3.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance2.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Retail trade2.5%
US avg: 10%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 2%
Professional, scientific, technical1.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing0.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Manufacturing0.7%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$252,700
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $122,800 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
$985
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $671 in 2000
US average: $1,124
74.3%
−2.5 ptssince 2000
from 76.8% in 2000
25.7% rent
2.08 people
−10%since 2009
from 2.32 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
4.6
−10%since 2009
from 5.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91.3%(12,438)
Black0.2%(30)
Hispanic / Latino5.2%(708)
Asian0.5%(72)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic81%(13,247)
Black0.4%(62)
Hispanic / Latino11.2%(1,838)
Asian0.9%(145)
Other4.5%(737)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.6%(1,198)
Panamanian0.4%(65)
Colombian0.3%(48)
Honduran0.1%(14)
Asian origin
Cambodian0.9%(137)
Japanese0.3%(43)
Korean0.1%(20)
Filipino0.1%(12)
Ancestry
German20.8%(3,270)
Irish16.3%(2,568)
English12.7%(1,992)
American6.6%(1,029)
Italian4.5%(708)
Dutch3.5%(551)
Norwegian2.8%(444)
French2.8%(433)
Welsh2%(320)
Swedish1.8%(290)
Scotch-Irish1.7%(270)
Polish1.7%(267)
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.6%(255)
British0.8%(130)
Danish0.8%(126)
Czech0.7%(113)
Finnish0.7%(110)
Swiss0.6%(102)
Romanian0.6%(95)
Russian0.4%(70)
Australian0.4%(67)
Greek0.3%(51)
Turkish0.3%(51)
Belgian0.3%(44)
Portuguese0.2%(35)
West Indian0.2%(34)
Jamaican0.1%(23)
Nigerian0.1%(22)
Ukrainian0.1%(19)
Slovene0.1%(18)
Latvian0.1%(17)
Lithuanian0.1%(16)
Ethiopian0.1%(15)
Austrian0.1%(14)
Serbian0.1%(10)
Canadian0.1%(8)
Section 05

Education

25.1%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 17.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.9%
+9.1 ptssince 2000
from 83.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
10.7%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

17.3 min
+36%since 2000
from 12.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
78.9%
+6.8 ptssince 2009
from 72.1% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
5.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

3.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 5.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
45.5%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 48.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.0%
US average: 73.3%
39.5%
+9.3 ptssince 2009
from 30.1% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

46.5%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
53.5%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
3.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
12.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2013
from 13.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.3%
US average: 91.9%
80.8%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married18.8%(1,314)
Married57.8%(4,035)
Widowed6.4%(445)
Divorced17%(1,183)
Women 15+
Never married15.2%(1,139)
Married54.1%(4,041)
Widowed14.1%(1,054)
Divorced16.6%(1,241)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

12.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2013
from 13.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
41.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
21.7%
US average: 13.7%
39.8%
US average: 17.6%
15.1%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
5.5%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
61.3%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
53.1%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)6.1%(105)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)8.4%(146)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era53.3%(923)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War11.9%(206)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4%(70)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 1,733 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Payson

Head to head

Compare Payson to nearby cities

Frequently asked

How many people live in Payson, Arizona?

Payson, Arizona has about 16,351 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Payson, Arizona?

The typical household in Payson, Arizona earns about $55,303 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Payson, Arizona expensive?

In Payson, Arizona, the median home is worth about $252,700, and the typical rent is about $985 a month.

How educated are people in Payson, Arizona?

About 25.1% of adults age 25 and over in Payson, Arizona hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Payson, Arizona?

About 9.3% of people in Payson, Arizona live below the federal poverty line.

Has Payson, Arizona grown since 1990?

Yes, Payson, Arizona has grown since 1990. The population has added about 7,974 residents, a change of about 95 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →