Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group

06/17/2026

Interesting article in the Sierra Vista Herald.

With recall elections over and ADI likely gone, Benson faces new questions about growth, transparency, economic development and public trust.

06/12/2026

The typical Pima County worker earned $47,758 in 2025, capping a half-decade of steady wage growth that lifted paychecks across nearly every occupation in the region. Compared to 2024, median wages in Pima County rose 2.8%, continuing the post-pandemic compensation recovery.

The numbers tell a story of sustained growth for Pima County's workforce. From 2020 to 2025, median earnings climbed 22.8%, putting nearly $8,900 more in the pockets of typical workers. The 2.8% gain from 2024 to 2025 represented a more moderate pace than earlier in the 2020s, suggesting that compensation levels were stabilizing at a new, higher baseline.

Among the highest-paid occupational groups in Pima County, Management Occupations led all sectors with a median wage of $100,781—the only major category to crack six figures. Wages in this category rose 14.3% from 2020 to 2025 but were essentially flat from 2024 to 2025, gaining just 0.2%. Computer and Mathematical Occupations followed at $97,562, up 19.3% from 2020 to 2025 and 2.0% from 2024 to 2025. Legal Occupations saw particularly dramatic gains—up 50.1% from 2020 to 2025 and 17.2% from 2024 to 2025 alone.

In the middle of Pima County's wage distribution, Business and Financial Operations workers earned $74,317, up 23.2% from 2020 to 2025 and 3.2% from 2024 to 2025. Protective Service Occupations came in at $52,897, representing 24.7% growth from 2020 to 2025 and 3.3% from 2024 to 2025. Educational Instruction and Library workers ($49,169) saw more modest gains—15.9% from 2020 to 2025 and 2.7% from 2024 to 2025.

Food Preparation and Serving workers remained at the bottom of Pima County's earnings ladder at $34,987, yet their wage growth ranked among the highest of any sector—up 33.3% from 2020 to 2025 and 3.2% from 2024 to 2025. Personal Care and Service workers ($36,347) saw wages climb 27.3% from 2020 to 2025 and 4.3% from 2024 to 2025. The pattern suggested that labor shortages and minimum wage pressures pushed Pima County's lower-paid industries toward some of the strongest relative gains during the first half of the 2020s.

Several notable trends emerged across Pima County's occupational landscape. Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations experienced the most dramatic appreciation of all categories, climbing 34.6% from 2020 to 2025 and 7.9% from 2024 to 2025 to reach $78,299. Transportation and Material Moving also saw robust growth—up 32.9% from 2020 to 2025 and 4.7% from 2024 to 2025. Meanwhile, Architecture and Engineering was the only major group to experience a year-over-year decline, falling 3.7% from 2024 to 2025 despite strong growth of 21.6% from 2020 to 2025.

For Pima County employers, the data signals continued pressure to offer competitive wages, particularly in service industries that struggled to attract workers throughout the recovery. For Pima County workers, the cumulative gains represent real purchasing power improvements—though whether those increases kept pace with rising costs of living remains a separate question.

As Pima County's economy moves further from the pandemic disruptions, one thing is clear: the typical paycheck looks substantially different than it did five years ago, with workers across the occupational spectrum sharing in the gains.

06/11/2026

Arizona is growing and we want your input!

As part of our Next Move Arizona statewide listening tour, we're hosting a virtual public meeting to hear about your transportation challenges and needs.

📆Tuesday, June 16
🕝6 p.m.
🔗Register now: nextmoveaz.com

The session will feature remarks by ADOT Director Jennifer Toth, followed by an interactive session to gather feedback on transportation issues and priorities and a demonstration of an online mapping tool to provide location-specific comments.

“We have visited locations around the state with a goal of strengthening the connection between our transportation system and the communities it serves,” Toth said. “This interactive virtual session is a chance for us to hear from those we may not get to see in person.”

Can’t make the meeting? You can still participate anytime through the online survey and commenting on an interactive map.

The Next Move Arizona listening tour launched in late 2025 and is scheduled to continue through July. To date, the tour has included approximately 60 in-person listening sessions throughout the state with cities and towns, tribal nations, regional planning organizations and community organizations, as well as Next Move Arizona booths at 14 community events.

06/08/2026

Vote Ship Arizona for Best Specialty Store in Benson! 📦

➡ Text SHIPAZ to +1 (520) 536-8645 to cast your vote, or click here: http://myheraldreview.secondstreetapp.com/Best-Of-Benson-2026/gallery/540675181

05/31/2026

Visitor activity across Santa Cruz County’s major park destinations in 2025 reflects a mix of steady demand, sharp rebounds, and renewed declines following the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier in the decade. While overall interest in outdoor and cultural sites remains solid, recent year-to-year changes continue to vary widely across locations.

At Patagonia Lake State Park, visitation reached 237,284 in 2025, a 0.8% increase from 2024. That modest gain follows several years of stronger growth during and immediately after the pandemic, when outdoor recreation saw increased demand. Visitation climbed through the early 2020s and peaked in 2023, but has since leveled off. The past two years suggest that activity has settled into a consistent, elevated range rather than continuing to expand.

A different pattern emerged at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, where visitation rose to 11,420 in 2025, a 57.4% increase from 7,256 in 2024. The jump marks a strong rebound after a weaker 2024 and reflects renewed interest following pandemic-era declines and uneven recovery in the years that followed. Earlier in the 2010s, visitation was higher and more stable, but the pandemic period introduced more variability. The latest increase brings totals closer to those earlier levels, though the pattern remains inconsistent from year to year.

Meanwhile, Tumacácori National Historical Park moved in the opposite direction. Visitation fell to 28,449 in 2025, a 19.3% decrease from 35,256 in 2024. Like many cultural and historic sites, visitation dropped sharply during the pandemic and then improved in the following years. Gains leading up to 2023 pointed to a gradual recovery, but declines in 2024 and again in 2025 show that progress has not been sustained, with visitation still well below pre-pandemic highs.

Taken together, the latest figures highlight how the pandemic continues to shape visitation patterns across Santa Cruz County. Patagonia Lake State Park has transitioned into a stable, high-visitation pattern after pandemic-era growth. Tubac Presidio State Historic Park posted a strong rebound in 2025 after a period of uneven recovery. In contrast, Tumacácori National Historical Park experienced a setback, giving back some of the gains made in the years immediately following the pandemic.

These differing trends suggest that while overall demand for parks and cultural attractions remains intact, recovery has not followed a uniform path. Some sites have stabilized after surging during the pandemic, others are still regaining lost ground, and a few continue to experience fluctuations as visitation patterns adjust in the years since.

05/31/2026

In 2025, total trade through the Nogales Ports of Entry was $34.0 billion, which was $0.5 billion (1.3%) less than in 2024. This shift was mainly because imports dropped by $0.8 billion (down 3.5%) to $22.8 billion, while exports increased by $0.4 billion (up 3.5%) to $11.3 billion. Even with this dip, trade remained at historically high levels, just below the record set in 2024.

The years leading up to 2025 saw a period of rapid growth. In 2024, trade hit an all-time high of $34.5 billion, with imports rising nearly 10% and exports up 5% from the previous year. 2023 also saw strong gains, with total trade up almost 10% to $31.9 billion, driven by a 15% jump in imports. The recovery from the pandemic was especially notable in 2022, when trade surged by over 16% to $29.1 billion, as both imports and exports rebounded sharply. This growth followed a significant drop in 2020, when trade fell by nearly 16% due to global disruptions. Since then, Nogales has experienced steady expansion, with trade nearly doubling since 2006.

05/29/2026

💻 Ready to take the next step in your career?
Train for a new career or advance your skills with our 100% online courses—flexible, convenient, and designed for your busy schedule.
✅ Enroll anytime
✅ Learn at your own pace
Start today: https://www.cochise.edu/academics/cll/online-courses.html

05/27/2026

If there is one economic story quietly reshaping Graham County, it is the steady rise in wages and the consistency of that growth across the local workforce. In recent years, Graham County has moved away from the slower wage gains of the past, with earnings increasing across nearly every major occupational group. The result is a labor market in Graham County that is gradually strengthening and becoming more competitive.

By 2025, average annual wages in Graham County reached $58,934, up from $45,997 in 2020—a roughly 28% increase over five years. This kind of growth is significant for a rural county like Graham County, where wage gains tend to be more gradual. Hourly wages reflect the same pattern, rising from $22.11 in 2020 to $28.33 in 2025, also about a 28% increase. These steady gains suggest that Graham County employers are consistently adjusting pay upward to attract and retain workers in a tighter labor market.

Across Graham County, some of the strongest wage growth is occurring in higher-paying, high-skill fields. Management occupations now average over $100,000 annually, while healthcare practitioners exceed $108,000. These figures represent notable increases compared to 2020 levels and highlight how Graham County’s economy is responding to demand for skilled professionals. As healthcare services expand and organizations require more experienced leadership, wages in these areas have climbed accordingly.

At the same time, wage growth in Graham County is not limited to top-tier occupations. Mid-level jobs, including office and administrative support and business operations roles, have also seen steady increases. Office support positions in Graham County now average close to $48,000 annually, up roughly 25% over the five-year period. These gains are especially important because they affect a large segment of the county’s workforce, contributing to broader improvements in earnings across the community.

Even in sectors that have traditionally paid lower wages, Graham County is seeing upward movement. Food preparation occupations, for example, have increased from about $29,469 in 2020 to approximately $38,376 in 2025—an increase of roughly 30%. Retail and service-related jobs have followed a similar trajectory. While these occupations still sit below the county’s average wage, the upward trend reflects strengthening demand for workers and rising baseline pay across Graham County’s service economy.

Taken together, these patterns point to a labor market in Graham County that is gaining momentum. Wage growth is occurring across industries, supporting higher household incomes and potentially boosting local spending. At the same time, differences in pay levels across occupations remain part of the economic landscape, but the overall direction for Graham County is clearly positive.

For Graham County, this sustained rise in wages represents more than just higher earnings—it signals a stronger economic foundation. As wages continue to grow, the county is better positioned to retain workers, attract new talent, and support long-term economic stability.