This data comes from the Arizona Commerce Authority’s community profiles for Maricopa, which capture snapshots of the city’s population, economic base, employers and civic indicators at different points in time. We used the 1998 profile to represent Maricopa before incorporation, and the most recent profile available for today’s snapshot, then placed them side by side. 

1998 

Before the boom

In the late 1990s, Maricopa was an unincorporated community shaped by agriculture, the railroad and a small but concentrated employment base. State Route 347 had only been established one year prior.

Population
8,451 

Government
Unincorporated 
Pinal County Board of Supervisors 
Pinal County Sheriff’s Office 
Maricopa Volunteer Fire Department 

School enrollment 
1,085 students 
Maricopa Unified School District 

Who worked in Maricopa 

In the late 1990s, Maricopa’s economy was small enough that individual employers carried outsized importance. The Arizona Commerce Authority profile identified Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino and Mobile Mini as the community’s two largest employers. Harrah’s employed roughly 700 people. Mobile Mini employed about 70 people, a significant share of the local workforce at the time. 

What counted as ‘attractions’ then 

The 1998 profile reflects a community with few local destinations of its own. Attractions listed included the Francisco Grande Resort in Casa Grande, along with activities such as clogging exhibitions, cotton gin tours and regional events like the Stanfield Friendship Days Parade. Maricopa Stagecoach Days appeared as an annual event at the time, and the Maricopa Agricultural Center Bar-B-Que was still active. 

Services and infrastructure 

Medical
No hospital in Maricopa; nearest in Casa Grande 

Higher education 
Closest Central Arizona College campus located 35 miles east of Maricopa 

Financial institutions
No banks located in Maricopa 

Utilities and communications 
Electrical service through APS 
Local water districts listed, but no unified regional water provider 
Telephone service through U.S. West Communications 

2026 

Built fast 

After incorporating in 2003, Maricopa became the fastest-growing city in Arizona, transforming from a small agricultural community into the state’s 17th-largest city within a single generation. 

Population 
81,103 

Government 
Maricopa City Council 
Maricopa Police Department 
Maricopa Fire and Medical Department 

Civilian labor force 
36,115 

Who works in Maricopa now 

The employer landscape changed completely. Mobile Mini, once Maricopa’s largest private employer, laid off roughly 90% of its workforce in 2008 and no longer anchors the local economy. Today, the Maricopa Unified School District is the city’s largest employer, with approximately 1,200 employees, reflecting a city workforce centered on education, healthcare, retail and professional services.

What replaced the old ‘attractions’ 

Local identity shifted inward. Maricopa now has two golf courses and city-owned recreation facilities at Pacana Park and Copper Sky, rather than relying on regional destinations. Maricopa Stagecoach Days, which dates back to 1959, returned last fall for the first time since 2017. Clogging exhibitions, cotton gin tours, the Stanfield Friendship Days Parade and the Maricopa Agricultural Center Bar-B-Que no longer exist. Today, the city’s marquee event is the Wild West Music Fest, a younger tradition that turns 3 this spring.

Services and infrastructure 

Medical 
First hospital in operation 
Second hospital approved in 2025 

Higher education 
Central Arizona College campus located in Maricopa 

Financial institutions 
Eight banks operating in Maricopa 

Utilities and communications 
Electrical District No. 3
Global Water Resources
Cox
Orbitel Communications