QUEEN CREEK, AZ — Queen Creek's population has more than doubled in the last 10 years, now sitting at about 84,000 people. The town is focusing on bringing in big companies to expand the economy as it experiences the highest year-over-year percentage of growth in Arizona, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data.
For Queen Creek resident Nicole Huggins, it is the traffic that is a daily headache.
“Now, it’s a nightmare, all day long,” said Huggins.
With Arizona’s fastest-growing housing market in Queen Creek, it is no wonder there are more people on the road.
Over the last five years, there have been more than 8,000 building permit applications for single-family homes in Queen Creek. As a result, the town is dedicating nearly 50% of its budget to capital infrastructure like roads, wastewater and parks and trails.
“Queen Creek has seen such tremendous growth, but the whole Phoenix metro area has seen so much new development over the past few years,” said Doreen Cott, the town’s economic development director.
Recent US Census Bureau data shows Phoenix is still the nation’s fifth-largest city. Between 2023 and 2024, Phoenix had the country’s eighth-largest population increase by number.
Smaller towns and cities in the Valley are using that magnet, so to speak, to their advantage economically. Big companies like LG Energy Solution are already planning to build an advanced manufacturing facility in Queen Creek. It will be the largest battery plant in North America.
“Those amenities are so important as we’re trying to attract new employers. They want to make sure that their employees not only have a place to live and a great quality of life, but places to shop and eat and to enjoy,” said Cott.
New mixed-use development projects like The Switchyard in downtown are meant to meet that need.
For residents, it is another sign that growth is the future.
“It continues to grow, so the variety keeps getting bigger and bigger. It just means the traffic does too,” said Huggins.
