For quite a while, Tucson held steady as the 8th poorest metropolitan area in the country. In February that changed………….. it is now number five.
Percentage of incomes under $25,000: 34.8%
Percentage of population with bachelor’s degree: 24.7%
Percentage of incomes over $150,000: 3.3% (#32)
Total population: 523,278
High unemployment and slow economic growth have hindered Tucson’s recovery from the recession. According to Arizona state government data, the city’s jobless rate went from 3.6 percent at the end of 2007 to a high of 9.4 percent in 2010. And while that unemployment rate has improved, the region’s tourism industry, a major employer, mostly generates low-wage jobs. At the same time, an overall downturn in Tucson’s housing market and construction industry continues to handicap its economic growth.
With nothing being done to save DM from a round of BRACs, #1 is just around the corner….