Arizona is adding people, but the state’s households are not necessarily getting bigger.
Across the state, hundreds of thousands of Arizonans live in homes by themselves — a trend that reflects changes in marriage, family formation, housing and the state’s rapidly aging population.
The latest U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates that Arizona had about 2.98 million households in 2024. Of those, 20.4% were households in which the householder lived alone, or roughly 608,000 one-person households. Put another way, about one in five Arizona households consists of a single resident.
For some, living alone is a choice that comes with independence. For others, particularly older adults, it can be the result of widowhood, divorce or the loss of family members. And for younger adults, it can be part of a longer transition before marriage or starting a family.
The result is a demographic shift that is changing what an Arizona household looks like.
A different picture from city to city
Living alone is not distributed evenly across Arizona.
Tucson, for example, has a large number of one-person households. The city’s combination of a major university, an established urban core and a substantial rental market creates a different household pattern from some of the state’s newer suburban communities. The 2024 Census ACS estimates that 34.7% of occupied housing units in Tucson were one-person households. The same Census table shows that more than 80,000 Tucson households were occupied by people living alone.
That is a striking contrast to the image of Arizona’s newer suburbs, where neighborhoods are often dominated by larger homes designed for families.
The differences also extend beyond the state’s largest metropolitan areas. Retirement-oriented communities can have substantial numbers of people living alone, while areas with younger families tend to have larger households.
The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity estimates that nearly one-fifth of the state’s population is already 65 or older. OEO projects that the share will increase to about 22% by 2035. That aging trend could make one-person households increasingly important to Arizona’s demographic picture.
Age changes the story
Age is one of the biggest factors behind living alone.
The Census Bureau’s 2024 ACS estimates that 7.4% of all Arizona households are households headed by someone who is 65 or older and living alone. Another 13% of households are one-person households headed by someone younger than 65, based on the Census household classifications.
For older residents, living alone can have a very different meaning than it does for a 25-year-old renting an apartment. An older person living alone may have spent decades in the same community before losing a spouse or partner. Some remain active and independent, while others may eventually need additional transportation, health care or assistance with everyday activities.
Arizona’s aging trend makes that distinction increasingly important. The state’s 2024 population estimate was about 7.58 million, according to the Census Bureau, and 19.3% of Arizonans were 65 or older in the latest QuickFacts data. The state’s aging population is also expected to continue growing. OEO projects the percentage of residents 65 and older to rise from about 22% in 2025 to 26% in 2035.
One income can mean greater housing pressure
Living alone also changes the economics of maintaining a household.
A person living alone cannot split a mortgage or rent payment with another adult. The same is true for electricity, insurance, internet, groceries and other basic expenses. That can make housing affordability particularly important for single-person households.
The Census Bureau’s B25011 table provides data specifically on housing tenure by household type and age of householder, including people living alone. It can be used to examine how many single-person households rent versus own and how those patterns differ by age.
For older residents, the issue can become even more complicated when income is fixed or limited. The Arizona Department of Economic Security has noted that older Arizonans can face financial pressure from rising housing costs, inflation and unexpected expenses. The department reported that 10.4% of Arizona adults 65 and older were living in poverty, citing United Health Foundation data.
That doesn’t mean everyone who lives alone is financially vulnerable. But it does mean that the growing number of one-person households represents a broader housing and economic issue for the state.
Arizona’s households are changing
The growth of one-person households is part of a much larger change in American family life.
People are marrying later, having children later or choosing different living arrangements. Arizona is also attracting large numbers of older residents while its existing population ages. The Census Bureau’s 2024 ACS puts Arizona’s median age at 39.4 years, illustrating a population that is considerably older than the state was several decades ago.
At the same time, Arizona continues to grow rapidly. OEO reports that the state added more than 460,000 residents between the 2020 Census and 2024, with approximately 97% of that increase coming from net migration.
That combination — rapid population growth and changing household structures — creates a complicated housing picture. Arizona needs homes for families with children, but it also needs housing for single adults, couples without children and older residents who may no longer need a large family home.
What living alone means for Arizona
The numbers tell a story that can easily get lost in Arizona’s population-growth statistics.
The state is not simply adding millions of residents. It is creating more households with different needs. About 608,000 Arizona households now consist of one person, according to the 2024 ACS. That affects more than the housing market.
Communities may need to think about smaller homes and apartments, transportation options, senior services and neighborhood design that works for people who do not have another adult or family member living with them. For a young adult, living alone may represent independence. For an older resident, it may represent decades of independence — or a new stage of life following the loss of a spouse.
Either way, one-person households have become a significant part of Arizona’s changing demographic landscape, and their numbers are likely to become even more important as the state continues to grow older and larger.
Matt Loeschman has had two separate stints at Independent Newsmedia. He began as a reporter covering Peoria and later Surprise from 2000-2009. In 2017, he returned to Arizona and INI as the news editor of the Daily News-Sun (now the Phoenix Independent). He previously covered the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League for more than a decade.
Community: During high school football season since 2017, he contributes live postgame radio reports to the AzPreps 365 Friday Night Football Wrapup Show. He supports organizations such as Phoenix Children’s, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and the American Cancer Society.
Education: The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Journalism-News and Public Affairs.
Random Fact: He can sing and he has been fortunate to meet many famous people during his journalism career including First Lady Hillary Clinton, King of Country Music George Strait and Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Attended all 4 home games of the 2001 World Series.
Hobbies: Watching and playing a wide variety of sports, including golf, tennis, pickleball and softball. Playing PlayStation 5, working out, shopping and reading.
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