There are currently 396,545 working women in the state of Arizona with 131,432 of them being single mothers. This creates quite a demand for childcare workers. Arizona has about 1,800 childcare facilities and an equal number of family homes that provide childcare, making a total of around 3,600 centers, with 204,669 available slots. The average cost of daycare in the state of Arizona is $7,450 per year. Those who use family homes for their daycare needs pay a slightly lower average fee of $6,283 per year. Families in Arizona are currently paying an average of 13% of their income for childcare, which is slightly high compared to the average cost of childcare in other states in the country. Although single mothers are paying a whopping 34% of their income for childcare, those numbers are on the lower end of the spectrum, compared to national averages.
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For those people who live in Arizona or are thinking about moving there, the copper state is a highly desirable place to live for many reasons. The beauty of the Grand Canyon–one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the painted desert and the petrified forest each have their own characteristics which make Arizona unique. Although the heat can be oppressive in the summer months, most of Arizona has beautiful mild winters; with opportunities for colder wintertime activities up north and in the mountains, where pine trees and forests can be seen in sharp contrast to the desert landscape in most other parts of Arizona. Every year many retired people, commonly known as “snowbirds” come form up north to spend the winter months in sunny Arizona. This definitely gives a boost to Arizona’s economy.
Of the 275 cities in the U.S. with the largest populations, ten of these are located in Arizona, with the two largest cities being Phoenix and Tucson. Most of the other large cities are suburbs of Phoenix. In the past decade, all ten of the largest cities experienced growth, while many other cities in the nation declined in population. Over the past several years Arizona’s economy has struggled but is expected to improve slightly in the next couple of years, making Arizona an even more desirable place for families to live.
