Santa Cruz County’s Industry Clusters.

As manufacturers in Nogales, Sonora produce electronics, apparel, and other vital goods, the impacts of the maquiladora economy spill into Nogales, Arizona.

University of Arizona researchers estimate the industry generates a $206.8 million direct output in Santa Cruz County, generating 1,140 direct jobs for local residents. Taking into account indirect and induced impacts, the industry brings $304.9 million to the county in a given year.

Approximately 60% of winter produce consumed in the United States and Canada passes through the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales.

The direct economic impact of fresh produce in greater Nogales, Arizona amounts to more than $303 million annually and more than 2,500 jobs, including primary and associated activities. Taking into account indirect and induced impacts, the industry supports more than 4,000 jobs and has an economic impact of $437.7 million to the area.

Equipped with a $2.16 billion investment and multiple large-scale federal grants, mining corporation South32 aims to fully launch the Hermosa Project. The mining operation will extract zinc, silver and manganese from local deposits in the coming years — all within Santa Cruz County.

Based on a recent economic impact study conducted by South32, the Hermosa Project will:

• Create 900+ family-sustaining jobs.
• Increase opportunity for local suppliers.
• Double the county’s nearly $14 million property tax base – and help fund the county’s public schools, services, and community college.
• Equal about 20 percent of the county’s current GDP.

Rich with arts, history and binational culture, Arizona’s Santa Cruz County is nurturing a growing tourism industry.Currently, the tourism industry in Santa Cruz County supports over 10,000 jobs, with the majority of those jobs coming from lodging and food service businesses. In 2023, tourism generated nearly $123 million in state and local tax revenue for Santa Cruz County. The tourism industry in Santa Cruz County has shown steady economic growth, recovering to 135% of its pre-pandemic levels by 2023.Of note, Santa Cruz County is part of the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area — a vast expanse of historically and culturally significant land, designated and supported by the federal government in 2019 to expand tourism in the region.

In recent years, an effort has emerged to reclaim and revitalize a once-neglected corridor in Nogales, Arizona: Morley Avenue. In the past five years, organizers, entrepreneurs and nonprofits have established a permanent art museum, a multidisciplinary arts space, a café, a community center for young cyclists, an industrial-sized commercial kitchen and several murals within a two-block stretch of the avenue.

Nogales, Arizona has also become host to a number of significant cultural celebrations, including but not limited to: Fiestas Patrias (Mexican Independence Day), Day of the Dead, and a springtime celebration known as Fiestas de Mayo. Other annual events include a bicycle classic, which lures hundreds of participants to Nogales; and a 5k marathon, which drew 700 participants in 2024 alone.

Winemaking is flourishing in Santa Cruz County, which is home to the federally designated Sonoita American Viticultural Area.

Statewide, Arizona’s wine tourism industry has seen significant growth between 2011-2014, with visitor spending increasing by 677% and wine-related employment increasing by 500%.

Santa Cruz County boasts more than a dozen tasting rooms. Employment in county wineries grew 89% throughout the pandemic, from 33 to 66 jobs. Between 2019 and 2022, wine employment-related wages rose by 27%, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The fastest growing industry in Santa Cruz County is Healthcare.  Currently, Mariposa Community Health Center employs approximately 500 individuals and plans to double that in the near future.  This rapid expansion has created the need for additional office space which is currently under construction. Additionally, Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital is constantly recruiting to fill vacancies within their organization.  This workforce demand has necessitated the development of certification programs to not only meet the needs of the healthcare industry but other businesses as well.

Together both organizations are working with Santa Cruz Provisional College to create certification programs from medical and to support staff positions.