Cottonwood, AZ population between 2000 and 2023

Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Cottonwood increased by 3,471. In this period, the peak population was 13,124 in the year 2023. The numbers suggest that the population has not reached its peak yet and is showing a trend of further growth.

Year	Population	Year on Year Change	Change in Percent
2000	9,653	–	–
2001	10,051	398	4.12%
2002	10,355	304	3.02%
2003	10,456	101	0.98%
2004	10,641	185	1.77%
2005	11,111	470	4.42%
2006	11,372	261	2.35%
2007	11,514	142	1.25%
2008	11,634	120	1.04%
2009	11,591	-43	-0.37%
2010	11,160	-431	-3.72%
2011	11,126	-34	-0.30%
2012	11,147	21	0.19%
2013	11,252	105	0.94%
2014	11,425	173	1.54%
2015	11,573	148	1.30%
2016	11,857	284	2.45%
2017	11,996	139	1.17%
2018	12,191	195	1.63%
2019	12,321	130	1.07%
2020	12,219	-102	-0.83%
2021	12,443	224	1.83%
2022	12,940	497	3.99%
2023	13,124	184	1.42%

Source: Cottonwood, AZ Population by Year – 2024 Update | Neilsberg

Camp Verde, AZ population between 2000 and 2023

Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Camp Verde increased by 3,015. In this period, the peak population was 12,489 in the year 2023. The numbers suggest that the population has not reached its peak yet and is showing a trend of further growth.

Year	Population	Year on Year Change	Change in Percent
2000	9,474	–	–
2001	9,582	108	1.14%
2002	9,715	133	1.39%
2003	9,864	149	1.53%
2004	10,009	145	1.47%
2005	10,149	140	1.40%
2006	10,593	444	4.37%
2007	10,822	229	2.16%
2008	10,881	59	0.55%
2009	10,838	-43	-0.40%
2010	10,870	32	0.30%
2011	10,904	34	0.31%
2012	10,899	-5	-0.05%
2013	10,989	90	0.83%
2014	11,064	75	0.68%
2015	11,132	68	0.61%
2016	11,206	74	0.66%
2017	11,222	16	0.14%
2018	11,262	40	0.36%
2019	11,224	-38	-0.34%
2020	12,170	946	8.43%
2021	12,316	146	1.20%
2022	12,446	130	1.06%
2023	12,489	43	0.35%

Source: Camp Verde, AZ Population by Year – 2024 Update | Neilsberg

Connecting the Dots: Population, Census Data, Government Growth, and Taxes

My initial focus was on the timeline when the City of Sedona began to prioritize tourism. This shift involved placing a non-governmental entity, a regional business association, in a pivotal role, allowing them to guide the city council and receive annual funding without any performance metrics. The city asserted that they were unable to handle the task on their own, labeling this group as the experts while ignoring state tourism policies.

Discover more through information that is grounded in facts and data.

I began with the population data for Sedona, utilizing two reliable sources: Neilsberg and Census figures. City of Sedona Population Growth – Donna Joy

Utilizing same two reliable sources: Neilsberg and Census figures I expanded to include nearby municipalities, The City of Cottonwood and the Town of Camp Verde Population Sedona Area Cities – Towns – Donna Joy

Then I moved on to more census numbers for all three locations. Communities are always evolving, and understanding these changes can provide valuable insights. By examining census data, we can learn more about our identities, discover which communities are expanding, and explore the differences and transformations within these communities. A view of Sedona area communities 2023 Census – Donna Joy

What unique actions has the City of Sedona taken that set it apart from the City of Cottonwood and the Town of Camp Verde?

In 2013, the City of Sedona increased the sales tax and established a no-bid contract with the regional Sedona Chamber of Commerce. This agreement allocated 55% of the city’s bed taxes without restrictions to the Chamber and its members.

The City of Sedona has invested millions of public funds into an NGO that purports to function as a Tourism Bureau. However, the membership distribution of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce largely extends beyond the city limits and is not limited to the tourism sector. This investment was made without any restriction’s contracts of assets on the use of public money.
Tourism has not seen any improvement under the tourism-first agenda, and the situation for residents has remained stagnant.

Tourism First Agenda
City of Sedona Population & Tourism
1997-population 9,760 Tourism = 3.5m
2020-population 9,684 Tourism = 3.5m
Source: Sedona Community Profiles

In 2017, the Sedona City Council approved a new “Sunset” half-cent sales tax with a vote of 6-1. This revenue was earmarked to fund approximately $35 million in traffic mitigation construction over the following decade. In 2021, the City Council transitioned this sunset tax into a permanent sales tax increase.

What’s next?

more to come…….
What factors have contributed to Sedona’s politically charged atmosphere due to the tourism-first agenda and how has the unrestricted public funding provided to an NGO- Sedona Chamber of Commerce changed Sedona?

Posts on City issues:

Performance Management City of Glendale, Arizona

Donna Joy

March 24, 2025

Learn more about the Department of Organizational Performance City of Glendale, Arizona and how using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics