Surprise, AZ

Census Place

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2023 Population

149,519

2.7% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mark Kelly

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ruben Gallego

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

41.6

0.241% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

7.79%

14.8% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$93,371

6.4% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$396,000

12.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

65,587

5.81% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Surprise, AZ had a population of 150k people with a median age of 41.6 and a median household income of $93,371. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Surprise, AZ grew from 145,591 to 149,519, a 2.7% increase and its median household income grew from $87,756 to $93,371, a 6.4% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Surprise, AZ are White (Non-Hispanic) (66.9%), White (Hispanic) (8.1%), Two+ (Hispanic) (5.86%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (5%), and Other (Hispanic) (4.72%).

None of the households in Surprise, AZ reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.8% of the residents in Surprise, AZ are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Surprise, AZ are Ottawa University-Surprise (165 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Surprise, AZ was $396,000, and the homeownership rate was 79%.

Most people in Surprise, AZ drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Surprise, AZ was 2 cars per household.

United States Arizona Maricopa County, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ Phoenix (Far North) & Peoria (Northwest) Cities PUMA, AZ Maricopa County--El Mirage & Sun City PUMA, AZ Maricopa County--Surprise City (Central) PUMA, AZ Maricopa County--Goodyear, Glendale (West) & Litchfield Park (Northwest) Cities PUMA, AZ Maricopa County (West) & Gila River Indian Community (Northwest) PUMA, AZ

Population & Diversity

Surprise, AZ is home to a population of 150k people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 6.79% of Surprise, AZ residents were born outside of the country (10.1k people).

In 2023, there were 8.26 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (100k people) in Surprise, AZ than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.1k White (Hispanic) and 8.77k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.8%

2023 Citizenship

97.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.8% of Surprise, AZ residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Surprise, AZ was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Surprise, AZ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Surprise, AZ

White (Non-Hispanic)
100k ± 2.65k
White (Hispanic)
12.1k ± 1.99k
Two+ (Hispanic)
8.77k ± 1.52k

19.2%

Hispanic Population

28.8k people

19.2% of the people in Surprise, AZ are hispanic (28.8k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Surprise, AZ as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Arizona.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
500,763 ± 16,756 people
India
40,959 ± 4,955 people
Canada
39,634 ± 4,874 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arizona was Mexico, the natal country of 500,763 Arizona residents, followed by India with 40,959 and Canada with 39,634.

Foreign-Born Population

6.79%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.1k people

7.06%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

10.3k people

As of 2023, 6.79% of Surprise, AZ residents (10.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Surprise, AZ was 7.06%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Surprise, AZ compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,411 ± 454
Gulf War (2001-)
3,599 ± 565
Gulf War (1990s)
1,635 ± 319

Surprise, AZ has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.23 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Surprise, AZ employs 65.6k people. The largest industries in Surprise, AZ are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,721 people), Retail Trade (8,951 people), and Finance & Insurance (6,156 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($83,299), Utilities ($72,583), and Public Administration ($72,194).

Males in Arizona have an average income that is 1.29 times higher than the average income of females, which is $59,270. The income inequality in Arizona (measured using the Gini index) is 0.457, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

65.6k

2023 Value

± 2,474

5.81%

1 Year growth

± 5.07%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Surprise, AZ grew at a rate of 5.81%, from 62k employees to 65.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Surprise, AZ, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,656 people), Sales & Related Occupations (8,203 people), and Management Occupations (8,066 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Surprise, AZ.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Arizona (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

65.6k

2023 Value

± 2,474

5.81%

1 Year growth

± 5.07%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Surprise, AZ grew at a rate of 5.81%, from 62k employees to 65.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Surprise, AZ, are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,721 people), Retail Trade (8,951 people), and Finance & Insurance (6,156 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Surprise, AZ, though some of these residents may live in Surprise, AZ and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$57,359

Median earning men ± $1,763

$45,455

Median earning women ± $2,215

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($81,855), Information ($71,053), and Wholesale Trade ($70,190).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($62,414), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,874), and Public Administration ($53,526).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arizona.

Y-Axis

2.3%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.15M people employed in Arizona. This represents a 2.3% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 9.21%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Arizona.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arizona went to Donald J. Trump with 52.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (46.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.54%).

Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego are the senators currently representing the state of Arizona. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Arizona is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Surprise, AZ. Showing the available data for Arizona.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (52.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (46.7%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.54%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Arizona went to Donald J. Trump with 52.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (46.7%), followed by Jill Stein (0.54%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Arizona for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Arizona

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Arizona.

Mark Kelly

Senator from Arizona

Assumed office on December 2, 2020
Elected to the seat to succeed Martha McSally, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of John McCain and the resignation of Jon Kyl.

Ruben Gallego

Senator from Arizona

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego are the senators currently representing Arizona.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Arizona over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Arizona

Arizona is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Arizona have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Surprise, AZ awarded 165 degrees. The student population of Surprise, AZ in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 838 male students and 898 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Surprise, AZ are White (81 and 49.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (45 and 27.3%), Black or African American (19 and 11.5%), and Two or More Races (12 and 7.27%).

The largest universities in Surprise, AZ by number of degrees awarded are Ottawa University-Surprise (165 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Surprise, AZ are General Business Administration & Management (75 and 45.5%), General Psychology (13 and 7.88%), and Kinesiology & Exercise Science (12 and 7.27%).

The median tuition cost in Surprise, AZ for private four year colleges is $29,600.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2022 in Surprise, AZ, the percentage of applicants admitted was 28.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 74.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 1,736 (48.3% men and 51.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 1,736 students enrolled in Surprise, AZ, 48.3% men and 51.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 614 records, of which 56% were women and 44% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
40 degrees awarded
General Psychology
13 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
12 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Surprise, AZ was General Business Administration & Management with 40 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Surprise, AZ according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Ottawa University-Surprise

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

165 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Ottawa University-Surprise with 165 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 107 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Surprise, AZ, which is 1.84 times more than the 58 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 81 degrees mean that there were 1.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 45 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($29,600) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($3,400) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arizona.

Measure

In 2022, 1.03% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.12% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arizona.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (1.42M), High School or Equivalent (1.41M), and Bachelors Degree (1.02M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Surprise, AZ was $396,000 in 2023, which is 1.31 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $352,600 to $396,000, a 12.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Surprise, AZ is 79%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Surprise, AZ have an average commute time of 30.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Surprise, AZ is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Surprise, AZ is $93,371. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Surprise, AZ was Census Tract 610.36 with a value of $150,046, followed by Census Tract 610.39 and Census Tract 610.37, with respective values of $135,721 and $115,391.

Housing

Property

$396,000

Median Property Value 2023

±$7,171

$42,996

Median Property Taxes

±$1,561

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Surprise, AZ the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Surprise, AZ compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

79%

Homeownership

2023

69.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 79% of the housing units in Surprise, AZ were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 78.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Surprise, AZ compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 610.36
Census Tract 610.39
Census Tract 610.37

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Surprise, AZ was Census Tract 610.36 with a value of $150,046, followed by Census Tract 610.39 and Census Tract 610.37, with respective values of $135,721 and $115,391.

The following map shows all of the places in Surprise, AZ colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$93,371

Median Household Income

± $3,073

54.4k

Number of Households

± 1,907

In 2023, the median household income of the 54.4k households in Surprise, AZ grew to $93,371 from the previous year's value of $87,756.

The following chart displays the households in Surprise, AZ distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Surprise, AZ is from Arizona.

0.457

2022 Wage GINI in Arizona

0.46

2021 Wage GINI in Arizona

In 2022, the income inequality in Arizona was 0.457 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.545% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Arizona was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Arizona in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Arizona across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (70.7%)
Worked At Home (17.6%)
Carpooled (9.2%)

In 2023, 70.7% of workers in Surprise, AZ drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.6%) and those who carpooled to work (9.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Surprise, AZ have a longer commute time (30.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.96% of the workforce in Surprise, AZ have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Surprise, AZ compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Surprise, AZ distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Surprise, AZ have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

7.79% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Surprise, AZ (11.6k out of 149k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Surprise, AZ is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

93.6% of the population of Surprise, AZ has health coverage, with 50% on employee plans, 9.71% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 14.1% on non-group plans, and 3.21% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Maricopa County, AZ see 1445 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.83% increase from the previous year (1419 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1406 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 559 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Maricopa County, AZ.

1,445 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Maricopa County, AZ

Primary care physicians in Maricopa County, AZ see an average of 1,445 patients per year. This represents a 1.83% increase from the previous year (1,419 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Maricopa County, AZ in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25% under 18 years, 16.7% between 18 and 34 years, 35.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.44%

Uninsured

50%

Employer Coverage

9.71%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

14.1%

Non-Group

3.21%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Surprise, AZ declined by 13.8% from 7.47% to 6.44%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Surprise, AZ changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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