The average Arizonan likely has a higher paycheck hitting their account every two weeks. However, for many, it doesn’t feel like it.
Read more Phoenix sued again over parks ordinance restricting homeless aid
Over the last five years, everything has gotten more expensive as the costs of housing, groceries, gas and other living essentials have continued to rise. Since February 2021 — when Arizonans lined up in droves in their cars to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at State Farm Stadium — nationwide inflation has risen by 24%.
Only 28 states have seen their median wages increase at a rate matching inflation over the past five years, according to a study by the financial technology company MoneyLion. Arizona is one of those states, but just barely.
The study relied on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data for each state from the years 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026. It found that wage growth across the country has been uneven. Some states, like Idaho and Mississippi, have seen notable income gains. Others, like Maryland and California, are significantly trailing behind the county’s inflation rate, spelling trouble for their residents.
Arizona falls somewhere in between. The Grand Canyon State ranks 26th in the nation for wage increases, based on the percentage change in weekly earnings over the last five years, according to MoneyLion’s study.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Arizonans earned a median of $1,213 in usual weekly earnings in February 2026, which is 25% higher than five years prior. Usual weekly earnings are a worker’s earnings — including overtime pay, commissions or tips — before taxes and other deductions, such as insurance. This wage increase means Arizona’s average wages beat inflation by one percentage point.
Read more Joe Arpaio’s 94th birthday party was rife with scuzzy has-beens
Nationwide, the full-time workers brought home $1,235 in median weekly earnings for the first quarter of 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Five years ago, the median Arizona resident typically earned $905 per week, according to the study. The average worker brings home an additional $308 compared to five years ago. Over a 10-year period, Arizonans’ weekly earnings have increased by more than 50%, outpacing inflation, which rose by 31% over the same period. In February 2016, Arizonans brought home a median weekly wage of $600.
As with inflation, Arizonans’ usual weekly wage rate closely tracks the state’s rising housing costs. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the median listing price for homes in Arizona has risen by more than 21% over the past five years, with the February 2026 median listing price at $474,975. That’s only four percentage points lower than residents’ wage growth over the same period.
However, the state’s rental market has outpaced inflation by six percentage points. According to data from Zillow’s Observed Rent Index, rent for the average rental property of all types has increased by more than 30% in the last five years.
A 25% raise in the last five years sounds significant. However, don’t go on a spending spree — you’re basically making the same amount of money.
Read more What is a haboob? What you should know about Arizona’s dust storms