About Our City
City of Tempe's social, economic, mobility, and future development data.
Introduction
Home to over 192,364 people in 2020, City of Tempe population is projected to increase to over 217,100 (20%) over the next decade. This section describes the Tempe community and highlights how the city's social & economic composition is an important consideration in planning for future recreation facilities.
Tempe In 2020
AGE
People use different recreation facilities at different ages. Field sports, team sports, and physical challenge sports are most popular with people under age 65.
Tempe's population is younger than most jurisdictions in the Phoenix metropolitan area. In part, this is due to the large number of students at Arizona State University (ASU). ASU provides recreation facilities for its students, and ASU students use city parks and recreation facilities. ASU facilities are not considered in this master plan.
EDUCATION
Studies have shown that education is correlated with a higher rate of leisure time activity. Tempe's population is more educated than Maricopa County as a whole.
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
The median household income in Tempe ranges from $18,602 to $137,188 per year. However, these values fail to represent the full spectrum of incomes within the Tempe community.
Studies have shown that income is related to recreation access and the level of individual physical activity. Over 3,000 households in the City of Tempe are below the Federal Poverty Level (annual incomes between $10,000 and $15,000 per year).
This map shows the percent above or below the City of Tempe 2018 median income by census tract.
Note: Interactive mapping may have limited viewing on mobile devices.
RACE & ETHNICITY
Tempe is a diverse community, and its parks and recreation facilities should provide opportunities for people to use parks in a way that supports the city's diverse communities and cultures. A 2015 study of Los Angeles park users found Latino park users more likely to use a park than white park users. Black park users were found to use parks 25% less than white park users. **
**Derose, Kathryn Pitkin et al. “Racial-Ethnic Variation in Park Use and Physical Activity in the City of Los Angeles.” (Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine vol. 92,6 (2015): 1011-23. doi:10.1007/s11524-015-9994-8)
PERSONAL VEHICLE ACCESS
Tempe has robust transit, bicycle and pedestrian networks that make city parks accessible to everyone in the community. Many people in Tempe also access some parks with unique recreation features using a personal vehicle. Households without a vehicle may have less access to some parks, such as the Tempe Sports Complex or Kiwanis Park or parks with unique recreation features such as a community center or a swimming pool.
On average, 13% of the households in each census tract own no vehicles. This map represents data by character area, where more than 13% of the households have no vehicles. (Click on the census tract to see the percentage of households that have no vehicles, one vehicle, or more than one vehicle.)
INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY
Not all people have the same ability to participate in recreation activities. Many City of Tempe parks are accessible to people with varying abilities to make sure that the Tempe community has access to recreation opportunities, the city is dedicated to serving its population living with disabilities. The Parks & Recreation Division also uses standards for playgrounds so that they are inclusive. The city is implementing its ADA Transition Plan to ensure improvements in parking and a variety of park amenities and facilities are achieved. The city Parks and Recreation Division offers a variety of adaptive classes and activities for people with disabilities.
Approximately 7.4 % of the city's residents have a disability, as compared to 6.8% of Maricopa County residents and 11.7% of Arizona residents.
Tempe in the Future
Population Growth
Understanding where people are projected to live will help the city plan to maintain or improve the current level of service for recreation facilities that is offered to the community.
From 2020 to 2050 the City of Tempe population is projected to increase 42% from 192,000 to over 272,000 people. The largest population increases occur in northeast Tempe, east of Rural Road & north of University Drive. In 2020, less than 2,000 people live in these census tracts, by 2050, these tracts are projected to have over 17,000 residents.
Between 2020 and 2030 Tempe's population is projected to increase 14% from 192,000 to 217,100 people.
Projected City of Tempe 2020 - 2030 Population Growth
Between 2030 and 2040 the City of Tempe will grow another 14% from 217,000 to 247,000 people. Most of this growth is projected to occur north of Broadway Road.
Projected City of Tempe 2030 - 2040 Population Growth
Between 2040 and 2050, the City of Tempe population should increase 10% from 247,000 to 272,400 people. Most of this growth is also projected in the area north of Broadway Road.
Projected City of Tempe 2040 - 2050 Population Growth
Population Growth North of Broadway Road
Almost all of the city's projected growth is anticipated in the area north of Broadway Road, in keeping with the city's previous planning efforts around the urban core.
Planned Development
Over the next 30 years Tempe will become denser and more populated. A majority of new development will occur north of Broadway. As a result, the demand for recreation facilities and services will increase in these areas.
(Each dot on the map to the right represents a proposed commercial or residential development project, current as of February 23, 2021. To view the Tempe Development Projects map, click here .
