Get paid to care for family in Pima County
Most of the 241,700 people in Pima County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Arizona Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Pima County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 241,700
- Aged 85+
- 27,300
- Rank in AZ
- 2nd
- Median age
- 40.1
22% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 15 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Pima County is a large metro county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Pima
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
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.
Statewide, 1.5 million people in Arizona are 65 or older — 20% of the state, across 15 counties.
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.
Guides
For families in Pima County
Start with the Arizona caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Pima
The counties Pima touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
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