Maricopa went from about a thousand residents in 2000 to more than 58,000 in 2020, on flat land with irrigated farms close by. Here, standing water drives much of the pest pressure around the house.
Maricopa traces its roots to Maricopa Wells, a watering stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route, and to Maricopa Junction, the rail junction rebuilt at today's townsite in the early 1880s. The city incorporated in 2003 as Arizona's 88th municipality and grew from 1,040 residents in 2000 to 58,125 at the 2020 census, which at the time made it the most populous incorporated place in Pinal County.
Farming is still close at hand. The Ak-Chin Indian Community, part of which lies inside city limits, irrigates about 15,000 acres, and the University of Arizona's 2,100-acre Maricopa Agricultural Center sits four miles east of town studying cotton and alfalfa. Precision Pest Control works with owners, renters and businesses around Maricopa on the problems farm edges bring, starting at $57 a plan.