Tempe, Arizona Population, Hospitals, Airports, and Schools

by btobers · Published June 4, 2019 · Updated September 5, 2024

Tempe, Arizona is a vibrant city located in the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The city has a population of over 185,000 people and is a popular destination for students, tourists, and businesses alike. Geographically, Tempe is located within Maricopa County and covers an area of 40 square miles. It is bordered by the Salt River to the north and the Gila River to the south. The climate in Tempe is arid with hot summers and mild winters.

The history of Tempe dates back to 1891 when Governor John C. Fremont designated it as a town site along the Salt River Valley Railroad line. In 1895, Tempe was officially incorporated as a city and has since experienced significant growth due to its proximity to Phoenix. Politically, Tempe operates under a council-manager form of government with seven members on the City Council who are elected at large by registered voters every four years. The mayor is appointed by these members from within their ranks for two-year terms.

The economy in Tempe is diverse and includes many industries such as education, healthcare, retail, hospitality services, technology companies, financial services firms, aerospace companies, manufacturing plants and more. The city also boasts several higher education institutions including Arizona State University (ASU), which enrolls over 90 thousand students each year making it one of the largest university campuses in the country. Additionally, there are several private schools like Corona del Sol High School that offer both academic and extracurricular activities for students from all backgrounds.

Finally, some of Tempe’s most popular landmarks include Mill Avenue Bridge which was built in 1931; Papago Park which features hiking trails; Hayden Butte Preserve which offers views of downtown Phoenix; Sun Devil Stadium which hosts ASU football games; Kiwanis Park where visitors can take part in various recreational activities; and Tempe Town Lake which provides boat rentals for those looking to explore its waterside trails or take part in fishing tournaments throughout the year

Population: 158,625. Estimated population in July 2024: 161,143 (+1.6% change)
Males: 81,942 (51.7%), Females: 76,683 (48.3%)

Maricopa County

Zip codes: 85281, 85282, 85283, 85284.

Demographics

Median resident age: 28.8 years
Median household income: $42,361
Median house value: $132,100

Population by Race

Races in Tempe:

White Non-Hispanic (69.7%)
Hispanic (17.9%)
Other race (8.5%)
Black (3.7%)
Two or more races (3.3%)
American Indian (2.7%)
Chinese (1.3%)
Asian Indian (1.1%)
Other Asian (0.7%)
Vietnamese (0.5%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Ancestries: German (17.7%), Irish (12.0%), English (11.2%), Italian (5.5%), United States (4.0%), Polish (2.9%).

Land area: 40.1 square miles

Map of Tempe, AZ

Population by Education

Tempe, Arizona is a vibrant city with a population of roughly 185,000 people. Located in the heart of the Phoenix Metropolitan area, Tempe is home to Arizona State University (ASU), which has an enrollment of over 60,000 students. This makes Tempe one of the most diverse cities in the state. The population is roughly 40% White, 4% African American, 3% Asian and 5% Native American, with close to 50% being Hispanic or Latino. The remaining 8% are from other ethnic backgrounds. The median age in Tempe is 31 years old, with close to 25% of the population between 20-29 years old and another 25% aged 30-39. In terms of income levels, the median household income in Tempe was $60,719 as of 2019. This is higher than both the state and national average incomes for that same year. Furthermore education levels are also relatively high compared to other areas in Arizona and throughout the US; 51% of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree or higher. Overall Tempe is an exciting city with a young and diverse population that offers many opportunities for its residents.

For population 25 years and over in Tempe

High school or higher: 90.1%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 39.6%
Graduate or professional degree: 14.6%
Unemployed: 4.3%
Mean travel time to work: 20.4 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Tempe city

Never married: 44.0%
Now married: 41.3%
Separated: 1.4%
Widowed: 3.3%
Divorced: 10.0%

12.9% Foreign born (6.1% Latin America, 4.4% Asia, 1.5% Europe).

Population change in the 1990s: +16,071 (+11.3%).

Hospitals

Hospital/medical center in Tempe:

TEMPE ST LUKE’S HOSPITAL (1500 SOUTH MILL AVENUE)

Other hospitals/medical centers near Tempe:

DESERT SAMARITAN MEDICAL CENTER (about 4 miles; MESA, AZ)
CHANDLER REGIONAL HOSPITAL (about 6 miles; CHANDLER, AZ)
MESA GENERAL HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER (about 7 miles; MESA, AZ)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Tempe:

PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTL (about 6 miles; PHOENIX, AZ; Abbreviation: PHX)
WILLIAMS GATEWAY (about 21 miles; PHOENIX, AZ; Abbreviation: IWA)
LUKE AFB (about 32 miles; GLENDALE, AZ; Abbreviation: LUF)

Other public-use airports nearest to Tempe:

STELLAR AIRPARK (about 8 miles; CHANDLER, AZ; Abbreviation: P19)
CHANDLER MUNI (about 13 miles; CHANDLER, AZ; Abbreviation: CHD)
FALCON FLD (about 16 miles; MESA, AZ; Abbreviation: FFZ)

Amtrak stations near Tempe:

7 miles: PHOENIX AIRPORT (PHOENIX, TERMINAL 2) – Bus Station. Services: enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, full-service food facilities, paid short-term parking, paid long-term parking, car rental agency, taxi stand, intercity bus service, public transit connection.
12 miles: PHOENIX (401 W. HARRISON ST.) – Bus Station. Services: ticket office, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, vending machines, free short-term parking, paid long-term parking, taxi stand.
18 miles: PHOENIX NORTHWEST (PHOENIX, 8101 BLACK CANYON FWY.) – Bus Station. Services: public payphones, call for taxi service.

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/Universities in Tempe:

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (Full-time enrollment: 37,174; Public; Website: www.asu.edu; Offers Doctor’s degree)
RIO SALADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 4,472; Location: 2323 W 14TH ST; Public; Website: www.rio.maricopa.edu)
AL COLLINS GRAPHIC DESIGN SCHOOL LTD (Full-time enrollment: 4,057; Location: 1140 S PRIEST DR; Private, for-profit; Website: www.collinscollege.edu)
UNIVERSITY OF ADVANCING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY (Full-time enrollment: 931; Location: 2625 W BASELINE RD; Private, for-profit; Website: www.uact.edu; Offers Master’s degree)
SOUTHWEST COLLEGE OF NATUROPATHIC MED & HEALTH SCI (Full-time enrollment: 260; Location: 2140 E BROADWAY RD; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.scnm.edu)
EDUCATION AMERICA INC (Full-time enrollment: 239; Location: 875 W ELLIOT RD #126; Private, for-profit; Website: www.educationamerica.com)
CONSERVATORY OF RECORDING ARTS AND SCIENCES (Full-time enrollment: 225; Location: 2300 E BROADWAY RD; Private, for-profit; Website: WWW.CRAS.ORG)
CARSTEN INSTITUTE OF HAIR AND BEAUTY (Full-time enrollment: 125; Location: 3345 S RURAL RD; Private, for-profit)
LAMSON COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 88; Location: 1126 N SCOTTSDALE RD STE 17; Private, for-profit; Website: www.lamsoncollege.com)
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF HAIR DESIGN (Full-time enrollment: 74; Location: 4415 N RURAL RD 2; Private, for-profit)
INTERNATIONAL BAPTIST COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 45; Location: 2150 E SOUTHERN AVE; Private, not-for-profit; Website: [email protected]; Offers Doctor’s degree)
COOK COLLEGE AND THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL (Location: 708 S LINDON LN; Private, not-for-profit)
MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OFFICE (Location: 2411 W 14TH ST; Public; Website: www.dist.maricopa.edu)

Other colleges/universities with over 2000 students near Tempe:

MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 4 miles; MESA, AZ; Full-time enrollment: 11,928)
UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX-PHOENIX CAMPUS (about 7 miles; PHOENIX, AZ; Full-time enrollment: 9,152)
UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX-ONLINE CAMPUS (about 8 miles; PHOENIX, AZ; Full-time enrollment: 14,783)
GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 8 miles; Phoenix, AZ; Full-time enrollment: 2,969)
CHANDLER/GILBERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 9 miles; CHANDLER, AZ; Full-time enrollment: 2,990)
SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 10 miles; SCOTTSDALE, AZ; Full-time enrollment: 5,345)
PHOENIX COLLEGE (about 14 miles; PHOENIX, AZ; Full-time enrollment: 5,911)

Biggest public high schools in Tempe:

CORONA DEL SOL HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 2,755; Location: 1001 E. KNOX RD; Grades: 09 – 12)
MARCOS DE NIZA HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,955; Location: 6000 S LAKESHORE DRIVE; Grades: 09 – 12)
MCCLINTOCK HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,797; Location: 1830 E DEL RIO DR; Grades: 09 – 12)
TEMPE HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 1,363; Location: 1730 S. MILL AVE.; Grades: 09 – 12)
TEMPE ACCELERATED HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 445; Location: 5040 S. PRICE RD.; Grades: 09 – 12)
TEMPE PREPARATORY ACADEMY (Students: 304; Location: 1251 EAST SOUTHERN AVENUE; Grades: 07 – 12)
COMPADRE HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 273; Location: 500 W GUADALUPE RD; Grades: 09 – 12)
NEW SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS & ACADEMICS (Students: 271; Location: 1216 EAST APACHE BOULEVARD; Grades: 09 – 12)
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE INSTITUTE – TEMPE (Students: 204; Location: 1105 E. BROADWAY ROAD; Grades: 07 – 12)
PINNACLE HIGH SCHOOL – TEMPE (Students: 162; Location: 2224 W. SOUTHERN AVE. #2; Grades: 09 – 12)

Private high school in Tempe:

TRI-CITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (Students: 429; Location: 2150 EAST SOUTHERN AVE; Grades: PK – 12)

Biggest public primary/middle schools in Tempe:

KYRENE MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 1,097; Location: 1050 EAST CARVER ROAD; Grades: 06 – 08)
FEES MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 1,068; Location: 1600 E WATSON DR; Grades: 06 – 08)
GILILLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 1,019; Location: 1025 S BECK AVE; Grades: 06 – 08)
CONNOLLY MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 971; Location: 2002 E CONCORDA DR; Grades: 06 – 08)
MCKEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 952; Location: 2250 S COLLEGE AVE; Grades: 06 – 08)
WOOD SCHOOL (Students: 638; Location: 727 W CORNELL DR; Grades: KG – 05)
C I WAGGONER SCHOOL (Students: 624; Location: 1050 E CARVER RD; Grades: KG – 05)
FLORA THEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 608; Location: 2130 E HOWE AVE; Grades: KG – 05)
HOLDEMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 602; Location: 1326 W 18TH ST; Grades: KG – 05)
KYRENE DE LAS MANITAS SCHOOL (Students: 594; Location: 1201 W COURTNEY LANE; Grades: PK – 05)

Biggest private primary/middle schools in Tempe:

GRACE COM. CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (Students: 619; Location: 1200 E SOUTHERN AVE/PO 26966; Grades: PK – 8)
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL SCHOO (Students: 481; Location: 2117 S. RURAL ROAD; Grades: 1 – 8)
BETHANY LEARNING CENTER (Students: 312; Location: 6240 SOUTH PRICE ROAD; Grades: PK – KG)
DAYSPRING PRESCHOOL & KNDG (Students: 248; Location: 1365 E ELLIOT; Grades: PK – KG)
GETHSEMANE LUTHERAN SCHOOL (Students: 234; Location: 1035 E GUADALUPE ROAD; Grades: PK – 8)
TEMPE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (Students: 217; Location: 3929 S. RURAL RD; Grades: PK – 7)
EMMANUEL LUTHERAN SCH (Students: 140; Location: 715 W SOUTHERN AVE; Grades: PK – 8)
TRI-CITY JCC SCHOOL (Students: 133; Location: 1965 E HERMOSA DR; Grades: PK – 1)
MONTESSORI DAY CARE (Students: 121; Location: 6915 LAKESHORE DR; Grades: PK – 6)
MERITOR ACADEMY (Students: 92; Location: 7570 S WILLOW DRIVE; Grades: PK – KG)

Libraries

Library in Tempe:

TEMPE PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $4,529,015; Location: 3500 SOUTH RURAL ROAD; 441,980 books; 8,741 audio materials; 12,515 video materials; 969 serial subscriptions)