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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Tempe

Arizona · 141,865 residents · 40.0 sq mi
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The short version

With 141,865 people, Tempe is a city in Arizona. This is an unusually credentialed place: 37% of adults have a four-year degree. 52% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 28.5. That is roughly 16% ahead of the Arizona median. The population has fallen 11% since 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 28.5
US median: 33.0
More educated
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 5%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
141,865
−11%vs 2000
vs 158,625 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
28.5
−1%vs 2000
vs 28.8 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
40.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
137K151K165K179K193K19902000201020202024Tempe
2024188K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.5%(9,210)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96%(8,574)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.6%(7,885)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 198.9%(12,664)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2414.8%(20,971)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3421.4%(30,419)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.2%(21,545)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.3%(13,167)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 645.8%(8,164)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 744%(5,642)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 842%(2,809)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.6%(815)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$31,885
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $42,361 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$15,530
−31%vs 2000
vs $22,406 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
13.6%
−0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 14.3% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$91,300
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $126,700 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$496
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $715 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
51.6%
+0.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 51.0% in 2000
48.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic69.7%(110,517)
Black3.5%(5,546)
Hispanic / Latino17.9%(28,473)
Asian4.7%(7,405)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic86.9%(123,234)
Black3.2%(4,569)
Hispanic / Latino10.6%(14,994)
Asian4.1%(5,765)
Other5.8%(8,297)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican18.1%(34,110)
Central American0.8%(1,575)
Puerto Rican0.7%(1,365)
Spaniard0.7%(1,290)
Colombian0.4%(726)
Salvadoran0.4%(660)
Cuban0.3%(606)
Peruvian0.2%(405)
Guatemalan0.2%(354)
Dominican0.1%(215)
Honduran0.1%(211)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(205)
Venezuelan0.1%(172)
Costa Rican0.1%(138)
Nicaraguan0.1%(129)
Chilean0.1%(99)
Bolivian0%(57)
Asian origin
Asian Indian4%(7,493)
Chinese2.1%(3,901)
Vietnamese0.9%(1,642)
Filipino0.7%(1,401)
Korean0.6%(1,222)
Japanese0.2%(319)
Bangladeshi0.1%(277)
Indonesian0.1%(221)
Taiwanese0.1%(197)
Burmese0.1%(192)
Nepalese0.1%(163)
Cambodian0.1%(149)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Pakistani0.1%(109)
Kazakh0%(70)
Thai0%(26)
Laotian0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(171)
Chamorro0.1%(136)
Marshallese0.1%(128)
Tongan0.1%(102)
Fijian0.1%(102)
Ancestry
German12.2%(23,010)
Irish9.2%(17,257)
English8.8%(16,588)
Italian4.4%(8,321)
American3.4%(6,459)
Polish2.6%(4,951)
French1.7%(3,267)
Norwegian1.7%(3,245)
Scottish1.7%(3,120)
Arab1%(1,938)
Dutch1%(1,887)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.9%(1,689)
Russian0.8%(1,596)
Greek0.7%(1,351)
British0.7%(1,272)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(1,239)
Danish0.5%(917)
Welsh0.5%(916)
West Indian0.4%(828)
Czech0.4%(792)
Somali0.3%(560)
Hungarian0.3%(537)
Finnish0.3%(533)
Egyptian0.3%(514)
Iranian0.2%(465)
Ukrainian0.2%(462)
Lebanese0.2%(365)
Nigerian0.2%(352)
Portuguese0.2%(350)
Jamaican0.2%(347)
Barbadian0.2%(315)
Romanian0.2%(303)
Swiss0.2%(302)
Belgian0.2%(283)
Austrian0.1%(274)
Croatian0.1%(267)
Slovak0.1%(259)
Brazilian0.1%(238)
Canadian0.1%(237)
Lithuanian0.1%(231)
Guyanese0.1%(220)
Armenian0.1%(130)
Bulgarian0.1%(130)
Turkish0.1%(116)
Moroccan0.1%(101)
Palestinian0.1%(98)
Serbian0.1%(97)
Syrian0%(89)
Ethiopian0%(89)
Slovene0%(72)
Israeli0%(60)
Latvian0%(31)
Ghanaian0%(29)
Kenyan0%(26)
Iraqi0%(22)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.8%
−2.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 39.6% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
89.9%
−0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 90.1% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
13.1%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 14.6% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.4 min
+53%vs 2000
vs 12.7 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married59.7%(52,068)
Married31.4%(27,417)
Widowed1.4%(1,262)
Divorced7.5%(6,532)
Women 15+
Never married49.8%(39,316)
Married35.4%(27,904)
Widowed4.1%(3,210)
Divorced10.7%(8,441)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.9%
−7.0 ptssince 2013
from 16.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 59.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
11.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 11.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
14.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 14.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 73.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
24.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 25.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)37.1%(2,705)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.7%(1,585)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.5%(1,788)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(334)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(65)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 7,296 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
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Neighborhoods in Tempe

EscalanteNeighborhoods in Tempe
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Compare Tempe to nearby cities

TEMPE VS
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TEMPE VS
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TEMPE VS
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TEMPE VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Tempe, Arizona?

Tempe, Arizona has about 141,865 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Tempe, Arizona?

The typical household in Tempe, Arizona earns about $31,885 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Tempe, Arizona expensive?

In Tempe, Arizona, the median home is worth about $91,300, and the typical rent is about $496 a month.

How educated are people in Tempe, Arizona?

About 36.8% of adults age 25 and over in Tempe, Arizona hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Tempe, Arizona?

About 13.6% of people in Tempe, Arizona live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →