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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Tempe

Arizona · 158,625 residents · 40.0 sq mi
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The short version

With 158,625 people, Tempe is a city in Arizona. This skews young, with a median age of 28.8. This is an unusually credentialed place: 40% of adults have a four-year degree. 51% of homes are owner-occupied. The population has held roughly steady since 1990. The typical home is worth $126,700.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 28.8
US median: 35.2
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
158,625
+12%since 1990
from 141,865 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
28.8
+1%since 1990
from 28.5 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
40.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
137K151K165K179K193K19902000201020202024Tempe
2024188K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.7%(9,074)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 95.3%(8,466)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.4%(8,625)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 199.2%(14,595)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2415.5%(24,530)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3419.4%(30,710)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4413.8%(21,918)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5411.8%(18,694)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 646.7%(10,607)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 743.9%(6,204)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 842.4%(3,832)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over0.9%(1,370)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$42,361
+1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $31,885 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$22,406
+44%since 1990
from $15,530 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
14.3%
+0.7 ptssince 1990
from 13.6% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$126,700
+5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $91,300 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$715
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $496 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
51.0%
−0.6 ptssince 1990
from 51.6% in 1990
49.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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
39.6%
+2.9 ptssince 1990
from 36.8% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
90.1%
+0.1 ptssince 1990
from 89.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
14.6%
+1.5 ptssince 1990
from 13.1% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.7 min
−34%since 1990
from 19.4 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married49.3%(33,764)
Married41.1%(28,121)
Widowed1.1%(724)
Divorced8.5%(5,825)
Women 15+
Never married38.3%(24,387)
Married44.5%(28,394)
Widowed5.7%(3,615)
Divorced11.5%(7,350)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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 158,625 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Tempe, Arizona?

The typical household in Tempe, Arizona earns about $42,361 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 $126,700, and the typical rent is about $715 a month.

How educated are people in Tempe, Arizona?

About 39.6% 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 14.3% of people in Tempe, Arizona live below the federal poverty line.

Has Tempe, Arizona grown since 1990?

Yes, Tempe, Arizona has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,760 residents, a change of about 12 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →