How many people live in Santa Cruz County, AZ?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 50,500 people living in Santa Cruz County, AZ. That makes Santa Cruz County the 12th-most populous county in Arizona. It is home to 0.66% of people living in the state.
50.5K
population of Santa Cruz County, AZ (2024)
0.66%
County share of the Arizona population (2024)
About 50,500 people lived in Santa Cruz County, AZ in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Santa Cruz County, AZ’s age demographics?
About 10,100 Santa Cruz County, AZ residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 20.1% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 19.7% of Arizona’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 12,400 Santa Cruz County, AZ residents, or 24.6% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21% of Arizona’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Santa Cruz County, AZ's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Santa Cruz County, AZ’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 82.2% of the Santa Cruz County, AZ population, higher than the national share of 20%.
In contrast, Santa Cruz County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 15.5%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.62% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Santa Cruz County, AZ has a higher share of a Hispanic population than Arizona as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Santa Cruz County, AZ is Nogales with about 20,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Santa Cruz County, AZ ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nogales | 19,965 |
| 2. | Patagonia | 796 |
| 3. | Balance of Santa Cruz County | 29,747 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
