Pima County, AZ
Get paid to care for your family member in Pima County, Arizona
About 241,700 people in Pima County are 65 or older — 22% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Arizona overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 27,300 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Pima County is one of the state's biggest population centers, and home-care agencies do work here — but staffing is thin, schedules change, and a stranger in the house is not what every family wants.
Who needs care in Pima
- People 65 and older
- 241,700
- People 85 and older
- 27,300
- Median age
- 40.1
- Rank in Arizona
- 2nd
22% of Pima residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 15 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Pima County is a large metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1). Arizona as a whole is 20% aged 65 or older.
What Arizona pays family caregivers
$13–$16/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Arizona Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Arizona's programs at a glance
- ALTCS self-directed care
- Agency with Choice
- Parents as Paid Caregivers (PPCG)
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Arizona guide →
Towns and cities in Pima County
Arizona sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Tucson and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Pima County:
- Tucson554,013
- Marana62,380
- Oro Valley48,855
- Sahuarita37,448
- South Tucson4,535
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Pima apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Pima County start with Arizona's program:
Apply to ALTCS by calling 1-888-621-6880, online via Health-e-Arizona Plus, or at a local ALTCS office; families of children with developmental disabilities also work through DES/DDD.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Arizona program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Pima questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Pima County?
Yes. Arizona runs real Medicaid programs — like ALTCS self-directed care — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Pima County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Pima County?
Reported figures in Arizona are around $13–$16/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Pima County apply?
Families in Pima County start with the state, not the county. Apply to ALTCS by calling 1-888-621-6880, online via Health-e-Arizona Plus, or at a local ALTCS office; families of children with developmental disabilities also work through DES/DDD.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Pima County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Arizona: yes — spouses can be paid, but reportedly only through a provider agency (Agency with Choice), not fully independent SDAC
How many people in Pima County might need this?
241,700 residents of Pima County are 65 or older and about 27,300 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Arizona's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Pima do you cover?
All of Pima County — including Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson. Eligibility is set by Arizona, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Arizona's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Arizona counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
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