SPECIAL REPORT: Keeping up with the growth in South County
San Luis leaders are planning big things for the future of one of the fastest-growing cities in Arizona
SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - Data from the 2020 U.S. Census showed San Luis was the third fastest-growing city in Arizona percentage-wise by population.
Now, hundreds of millions of federal dollars are pouring into the city along the border to help them keep up with the growth.
Because if those trends continue, 50,000 people will live in San Luis by 2030, making the once-small border town one of the main economic drivers of Yuma County.
The results from the recent census are even disputed by city leaders, as San Luis's mayor, Nieves Riedel, said she believes the city is already close to the 50,000 mark.
“I think because of the COVID, they did not count right, and we are already around 40 to 45 thousand people,” Riedel said.
Even if the census is undercounted, the official growth numbers have been staggering.
The population has nearly doubled every decade since the beginning of the century when only 15,000 people lived in San Luis.
As the city has even been recession-proof.
“We’ve been building about 400 homes a year, doing that even since 2008 during the recession,” Assistant City Manager Jenny Torres said.
Torres has been involved in the private and public sectors of San Luis since the 90s.
She believes multiple factors have led to the growth of south county.
“We’re right along the border, we have a lot of people migrating from California, and the growth in the Phoenix area, I think we’re getting a little bit of that," Torres said. "And just the affordability of being able to live in Arizona, close enough to Mexico, and California."
While being along the border is an asset for San Luis's economy, the proximity also brings safety concerns.
While San Luis, Arizona’s crime rate is far below the statewide average, crime, specifically murder, in the border city of San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico is at all-time highs.
Something the San Luis Police Department is making sure doesn’t spill across their side of the border.
“We have the ability to work side by side with the other agencies in the area like Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol, and other federal agencies that come back and forth here in our community," Lieutenant Marco Santana said.
Despite recent issues across the border, San Luis, Arizona remains on track to continue its historic growth.
And Mayor Reidel has big goals for her city.
“10 years from now, be close to the city of Yuma. Right now san luis is what Yuma was like in the early 70s," Riedel said.
As major infrastructure projects break ground at the port and are planned for Cesar Chavez Boulevard, San Luis is continuing on its path as the new gateway of the desert southwest.
“Just like a baby. You’re seeing the growth and the growth headaches that come with that. But you’re also seeing the potential," Torres said.
