Growth not as much as Maricopa hoped
Census count is about 5K shy of officials’ estimate
By Brian Wright | Casa Grande Dispatch
Like other growing cities in the state, Maricopa wants to get its fair share of state-shared revenue. And in order to do that, every little increase in population helps.
That’s why the Pinal County city decided, at its own expense, to conduct a special mid-decade census.
Maricopa Intergovernmental Affairs Director Paul Jepson did his own estimate in April and came up with 50,543. Mayor Christian Price said he was confident the number was close to 50,000. The Arizona Department of Revenue also estimated Maricopa’s 2015 population at 50,296.
But the preliminary number for the mid-decade census is in, and it’s well short of what the city hoped — 45,277.
