Peoria, a suburb in northwest metropolitan Phoenix, is a city on the rise. In 2017, Peoria was ranked number seven on "America’s 50 Best Cities to Live" list from Yahoo Finance. The city’s outstanding recreation opportunities and great quality of life have attracted a highly-skilled and educated workforce. As a result, Peoria is an emerging center for innovation, digital media arts and technology development.
Peoria offers premier vacant sites of various sizes along major arterials, as well as two campus sites that are prime locations for corporate and industrial projects. Peoria has attracted significant companies to the community within the past two years: Aviage Systems, a joint venture focusing on software development between GE Aerospace and The Commercial Aircraft Corporations of China (COMAC); Maxwell Technologies, a San Diego- based manufacturer of energy storage products; and SerialTek, a Silicon Valley-based technology company locating a software-development office in Peoria to support its data storage testing tools and solutions product line. In addition, Huntington University operates a campus focusing on digital media arts, attracting producers and content creators from Los Angeles and other major production locations. Peoria is partnering with a major office developer to build the Peoria Innovation Campus, a Class A, mixed-use commercial space designed to attract high-level innovation and technology companies to the city. Peoria has also identified key investment zones, such as the P83 Entertainment District and Old Town redevelopment opportunities, in addition to targeted initiatives that focus on advanced manufacturing, advanced business services, health care and bioscience entrepreneurship.
Peoria is surrounded by the rugged beauty and breathtaking terrain of the Sonoran desert. Its stunning sunsets and statuesque saguaros serve as a spectacular backdrop for a city that beckons just about anyone to venture outdoors. Peoria is a great destination in the "Valley of the Sun" with more than 300 days of sunshine and 25 miles of hiking trails throughout the city. The 25,000-acre Lake Pleasant Regional Park offers water-oriented recreation, a full-service marina at Pleasant Harbor and numerous other amenities. Peoria also prides itself on its hometown signature events like the Dolly Sanchez Memorial Easter Egg Hunt, All-American Festival, Halloween Monster Bash and Old Town Holiday Festival.
The city of Peoria offers a broad range of community facilities including a community center, three swimming pools, two libraries, 35 parks, six golf courses, nine lighted multi-purpose ball fields and 15 tennis courts. The Peoria Sports Complex is the spring training and player-development home of the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres. It also hosts athletic and special events year-round with 11 lighted major league baseball fields. The Peoria Center for the Performing Arts consists of a 280-seat main stage auditorium and an 80-seat black box theater designed to bring award-winning theater to downtown Peoria. The Greater Phoenix region offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities and entertainment. In addition to annual professional golf and tennis events, professional sports teams include the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Coyotes. Cultural pursuits range from world-renowned symphony to theater, numerous art galleries, shows and museums.
| Founded | 1880 | Incorporated | 1954 |
| Elevation | 1,140 ft. | Location | Maricopa County |
| Yavapai County |
| Phoenix | 13 miles | San Diego | 352 miles |
| Tucson | 130 miles | Los Angeles | 370 miles |
| Las Vegas | 273 miles |
| 2000 | 2010 | 2023 (est.) | |
| Peoria | 108,364 | 154,171 | 195,585 |
| Maricopa County | 3,072,149 | 3,824,058 | 4,507,419 |
| Yavapai County | 167,517 | 210,899 | 241,173 |
| State of Arizona | 5,130,632 | 6,401,569 | 7,285,370 |
Office of Economic Opportunity
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
| Peoria | 1.80% |
| Maricopa County | 0.70% |
| Yavapai County | 0.75% |
| State | 5.60% |
Arizona Dept. of Revenue & Arizona Tax Research Foundation
| 2000 | 2010 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian Labor Force | 56,064 | 79,048 | 93,608 |
| Unemployed | 1,301 | 6,554 | 3,908 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.3% | 8.3% | 4.2% |
Office of Economic Opportunity
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 8,943 | 7.5% |
| High school or equivalent, no college | 27,359 | 23.1% |
| Some college or Associate degree | 41,888 | 35.3% |
| Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree | 40,403 | 34.1% |
American Community Survey
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Education, health care & social assistance | 18,547 | 22.9% |
| Retail trade | 10,021 | 12.4% |
| Finance, insurance & real estate | 9,430 | 11.7% |
| Professional, scientific, & administrative services | 9,322 | 11.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, food & recreation services | 6,616 | 8.2% |
| Manufacturing | 5,412 | 6.7% |
| Construction | 5,048 | 6.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, & utilities | 4,676 | 5.8% |
| Public administration | 3,962 | 4.9% |
| Other services, except public administration | 3,801 | 4.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,178 | 2.7% |
| Information | 1,565 | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, & mining | 254 | 0.3% |
American Community Survey
This profile was prepared by the Arizona Commerce Authority in cooperation with local sources. For further information, please contact: