Arizona covers 113,635 square miles, with a 2019 estimated population of 7,278,717 people – 352,770 living in rural Arizona (USDA-ERS). Phoenix, the capital, is located in the south-central region of the state. The state's largest cities are Phoenix, Tucson and Mesa. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 82.6% of the state's population is white, 5.2% is African-American, 3.7% is Asian, 5.3% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.3% is Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 31.7% is of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Arizona Rural Healthcare Facilities

According to data.HRSA.gov, as of January 2021 Arizona had:

• 15 Critical Access Hospitals
• 36 Rural Health Clinics
• 70 Federally Qualified Health Center sites located outside of Urbanized Areas
• 19 short term hospitals located outside of Urbanized Areas

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Arizona

Most Arizonans have some form of health insurance coverage, although 11.1% of the state's residents remain uninsured (Kaiser, 2019). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Arizonans in 2019 was $46,058, with the rural per capita income at $35,824. The ERS reports, based on 2019 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Arizona is 24.2%, compared with 13.0% in urban areas of the state. 17.7% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 12.6% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2015-2019 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Arizona is 7.1%, while in urban Arizona, it is 4.6% (USDA-ERS, 2019).

Arizona Center for Rural Health
Phone: 520.626.2254
Promotes the health of rural and medically underserved individuals, families, and communities in Arizona through service, education, and research.
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