How Arizona cities rank nationally for highest income growth

Nationwide, the median household income reached $83,730 in 2024, growing just 1.3% year over year. This means many households did not keep pace with the roughly 3% inflation rate during the same time period, but that was not true everywhere. Especially in large cities where residents often pay a premium for convenience, infrastructure and amenities, the change in household income swung vastly, in some cases reaching double-digit growth, or even negative growth. Thankfully for Arizona residents, three Arizona cities — Tucson, Mesa and Phoenix — rank in the Top 20 nationally for having highest household income growth household between 2023 and 2024.

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Meanwhile, income trends among seniors and young families sometimes differed from the rest of local households.

Changes in incomes across a city can lead to different dynamics on local demand for businesses, job markets, and even have implications for how new tax legislation will affect residents. With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 50 of the largest U.S. cities by population based on the one-year change in median household incomes between 2023 and 2024, including breakouts for seniors and families.

Key Findings

Income increased by more than 15% in Tampa, FL. Tampa saw the highest one-year change in household incomes, going from $72,851 to $84,114. However, the gains were distributed differently across demographics, with seniors seeing a 17.4% increase year over year, compared to a 6.2% decline in the median income for families with children.
Three California cities also see double-digit growth in median income. The median household income in Long Beach jumped 11.9% to $91,318, the second-highest increase studywide. San Francisco took third place with a 10.3% increase to $139,801, while Fresno followed in fourth with a 10.2% increase to $74,491.
Seniors see the highest income bumps in these cities. Seniors in Seattle gained a whopping 24.1% in median household income to $80,550, despite a 1.5% decline in the median income across all households. Meanwhile, Arlington, TX seniors reported a 19.1% increase to $69,838, and those in Raleigh, NC reported a similar 18.2% increase to $69,882.
The median household income in this city tops $148,000. San Jose, CA remains the highest-paid large city in the United States, after median household income grew by 8.8%. For families with children, the growth was more prominent at 13.7%, compared to seniors, with a more modest 7.7% increase. San Jose ranked sixth for income growth overall.
The median family income now tops $200,000 in three cities. Families with children in San Francisco ($222,836); Seattle ($221,579); and San Jose ($201,721) earn more than in other large cities by far. Last year, Seattle was the only large city where families earned over the $200,000 mark. Across all other large U.S. cities, the median household income for families does not breach $140,000.
Minneapolis households face the largest decline in income. The median income dropped by 4.0% to $77,732 in Minneapolis, dropping below the national median income. In particular, families saw a steep decline, dropping 19.4% from $127,078 to $102,424.

Top 20 income growth changes by U.S. city

Cities are ranked based on the one-year change in median household income according to the latest Census Bureau data.

1. Tampa, Florida

Change in household income: 15.46%

Household income, 2024: $84,114
Household income, 2023: $72,851
Change in senior income: 17.38%
Senior household income, 2024: $48,632
Senior household income, 2023: $41,431
Change in family income: -6.21%
Family household income, 2024: $97,219
Family household income, 2023: $103,657

2. Long Beach, California

Change in household income: 11.90%

Household income, 2024: $91,318
Household income, 2023: $81,606
Change in senior income: 14.74%
Senior household income, 2024: $73,695
Senior household income, 2023: $64,228
Change in family income: 16.65%
Family household income, 2024: $98,914
Family household income, 2023: $84,793

3. San Francisco, California

Change in household income: 10.31%

Household income, 2024: $139,801
Household income, 2023: $126,730
Change in senior income: 14.48%
Senior household income, 2024: $67,415
Senior household income, 2023: $58,888
Change in family income: 27.51%
Family household income, 2024: $222,836
Family household income, 2023: $174,759

4. Fresno, California

Change in household income: 10.19%

Household income, 2024: $74,491
Household income, 2023: $67,603
Change in senior income: 0.67%
Senior household income, 2024: $56,143
Senior household income, 2023: $55,768
Change in family income: 29.04%
Family household income, 2024: $81,314
Family household income, 2023: $63,013

5. Louisville, Kentucky

Change in household income: 9.37%

Household income, 2024: $67,251
Household income, 2023: $61,488
Change in senior income: -1.26%
Senior household income, 2024: $48,232
Senior household income, 2023: $48,846
Change in family income: 9.60%
Family household income, 2024: $76,692
Family household income, 2023: $69,977

6. San Jose, California

Change in household income: 8.81%

Household income, 2024: $148,226
Household income, 2023: $136,229
Change in senior income: 7.67%
Senior household income, 2024: $84,007
Senior household income, 2023: $78,026
Change in family income: 13.74%
Family household income, 2024: $201,721
Family household income, 2023: $177,360

7. Baltimore, Maryland

Change in household income: 8.73%

Household income, 2024: $64,778
Household income, 2023: $59,579
Change in senior income: 2.01%
Senior household income, 2024: $39,444
Senior household income, 2023: $38,667
Change in family income: 2.11%
Family household income, 2024: $65,554
Family household income, 2023: $64,201

8. Tucson, Arizona

Change in household income: 8.57%

Household income, 2024: $60,483
Household income, 2023: $55,708
Change in senior income: 3.09%
Senior household income, 2024: $48,721
Senior household income, 2023: $47,261
Change in family income: 15.03%
Family household income, 2024: $72,896
Family household income, 2023: $63,374

9. Chicago, Illinois

Change in household income: 8.24%

Household income, 2024: $80,613
Household income, 2023: $74,474
Change in senior income: 12.31%
Senior household income, 2024: $48,564
Senior household income, 2023: $43,242
Change in family income: 6.22%
Family household income, 2024: $86,936
Family household income, 2023: $81,845

10. Mesa, Arizona

Change in household income: 8.13%

Household income, 2024: $85,580
Household income, 2023: $79,145
Change in senior income: 4.94%
Senior household income, 2024: $63,719
Senior household income, 2023: $60,721
Change in family income: 10.63%
Family household income, 2024: $101,812
Family household income, 2023: $92,030

11. Columbus, Ohio

Change in household income: 7.59%

Household income, 2024: $67,084
Household income, 2023: $62,350
Change in senior income: 11.83%
Senior household income, 2024: $52,399
Senior household income, 2023: $46,857
Change in family income: 11.26%
Family household income, 2024: $67,152
Family household income, 2023: $60,354

12. Arlington, Texas

Change in household income: 7.48%

Household income, 2024: $74,388
Household income, 2023: $69,208
Change in senior income: 19.18%
Senior household income, 2024: $69,838
Senior household income, 2023: $58,600
Change in family income: 17.85%
Family household income, 2024: $78,499
Family household income, 2023: $66,607

13. Kansas City, Missouri

Change in household income: 7.26%

Household income, 2024: $69,958
Household income, 2023: $65,225
Change in senior income: 0.15%
Senior household income, 2024: $49,706
Senior household income, 2023: $49,633
Change in family income: -3.42%
Family household income, 2024: $85,518
Family household income, 2023: $88,548

14. Charlotte, North Carolina

Change in household income: 7.24%

Household income, 2024: $86,416
Household income, 2023: $80,581
Change in senior income: 16.25%
Senior household income, 2024: $60,284
Senior household income, 2023: $51,855
Change in family income: 0.80%
Family household income, 2024: $101,022
Family household income, 2023: $100,220

15. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Change in household income: 7.23%

Household income, 2024: $60,930
Household income, 2023: $56,821
Change in senior income: 4.41%
Senior household income, 2024: $51,597
Senior household income, 2023: $49,420
Change in family income: 13.01%
Family household income, 2024: $66,730
Family household income, 2023: $59,049

16. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Change in household income: 7.17%

Household income, 2024: $56,792
Household income, 2023: $52,992
Change in senior income: -0.87%
Senior household income, 2024: $39,323
Senior household income, 2023: $39,670
Change in family income: 2.28%
Family household income, 2024: $49,787
Family household income, 2023: $48,679

17. Fort Worth, Texas

Change in household income: 7.03%

Household income, 2024: $82,503
Household income, 2023: $77,082
Change in senior income: 5.23%
Senior household income, 2024: $56,340
Senior household income, 2023: $53,540
Change in family income: 9.33%
Family household income, 2024: $100,426
Family household income, 2023: $91,859

18. Phoenix, Arizona

Change in household income: 7.01%

Household income, 2024: $85,246
Household income, 2023: $79,664
Change in senior income: 8.88%
Senior household income, 2024: $62,012
Senior household income, 2023: $56,952
Change in family income: 8.83%
Family household income, 2024: $91,106
Family household income, 2023: $83,717

19. Las Vegas, Nevada

Change in household income: 6.47%

Household income, 2024: $78,556
Household income, 2023: $73,784
Change in senior income: 6.06%
Senior household income, 2024: $60,236
Senior household income, 2023: $56,792
Change in family income: 11.68%
Family household income, 2024: $86,516
Family household income, 2023: $77,471

20. Sacramento, California

Change in household income: 6.35%

Household income, 2024: $91,387
Household income, 2023: $85,928
Change in senior income: 14.55%
Senior household income, 2024: $73,949
Senior household income, 2023: $64,555
Change in family income: -3.62%
Family household income, 2024: $96,061
Family household income, 2023: $99,673