Kidney disease — ranging from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end-stage renal disease (ESRD/kidney failure) and kidney cancer — is a major public health burden in Arizona. The state’s kidney failure population has grown steadily over the past decade, driven largely by diabetes and high blood pressure, and the cost of care and waitlist times remain significant challenges for patients.
This article brings together statistics on prevalence, risk factors, dialysis and transplant trends, transplant center performance, and the financial and demographic realities facing patients. It also looks at the role of charitable organizations like the American Kidney Fund (AKF) in helping low-income patients afford lifesaving treatment, and closes with data on kidney and renal pelvis cancer across the state.
Together, these figures paint a picture of a disease burden that is large, costly, and unevenly distributed — one that continues to grow even as transplant access and outcomes show areas of genuine progress.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Arizona
Prevalence
Before progressing to kidney failure, many Arizonans live with chronic kidney disease. The figures below show the share of adults who have ever been told by a health professional that they have kidney disease, along with the state’s kidney disease death rate.
- Adults ever told they have kidney disease (excludes kidney stones, bladder infection, incontinence): 4.2%
- Arizona’s national rank for this measure: 32
- Kidney disease death rate: 7.8 per 100,000
- Total kidney disease deaths: 810
Arizona’s self-reported CKD rate of 4.2% places it in the middle tier nationally (rank 32), but the 810 annual deaths attributed to kidney disease confirm that even a relatively moderate prevalence rate translates into a substantial number of lives lost, underscoring the importance of early detection and management of risk factors.
Risk Factors Driving Kidney Disease
- Diagnosed with diabetes: 10.9%
- High blood pressure: 32.5%
- Self-reported obesity: 31.4%
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading drivers of kidney failure, and nearly a third of Arizona adults report high blood pressure or obesity. This combination of risk factors helps explain the sustained rise in kidney failure cases across the state over the past decade.
Kidney Failure (End-Stage Renal Disease) in Arizona
Year-by-Year Trends in Kidney Failure
End-stage renal disease (ESRD), or kidney failure, requires dialysis or a transplant to survive. The table below tracks the number of Arizonans living with kidney failure, broken out by dialysis versus transplant status, across five annual snapshots.
| Report Year | Living with Kidney Failure | On Dialysis | Living with a Transplant |
| 2021 | 16,307 | 11,097 | 5,210 |
| 2022 | 17,010 | 11,513 | 5,497 |
| 2023 | 17,026 | 11,455 (67.3%) | 5,571 (32.7%) |
| 2024 | 16,804 | 11,246 | 5,558 |
| 2025 | 17,025 | 11,295 | 5,730 |
The kidney failure population in Arizona has hovered between roughly 16,800 and 17,025 people from 2021 through 2025, suggesting the growth rate has leveled off somewhat compared to prior years. Dialysis consistently accounts for roughly two-thirds of all kidney failure patients, while transplant recipients make up about a third — a ratio that has remained fairly stable across the five years shown.
Growth in Kidney Failure Cases Over Time
- 2022 report: total cases up 57.3% since 2009
- 2023 report: total cases up 47.4% since 2010
- 2024 report: total cases up 40% since 2011
- 2025 report: total cases up 36% since 2012
Although the cumulative percentage increase looks large in each report, the figures are gradually shrinking year over year (57.3% → 36%), which reflects a slowing — though still positive — long-term growth rate in kidney failure prevalence as the comparison baseline year moves forward.
Leading Causes of Kidney Failure
| Report Year | Diabetes | High Blood Pressure |
| 2022 | 47% | 28% |
| 2023 | 47% | 30% |
| 2024 | 44% | 29% |
| 2025 | 43% | 30% |
Diabetes remains the single largest cause of kidney failure in Arizona, responsible for roughly 43–47% of cases across the years shown, with high blood pressure a consistent second cause at 28–30%. Together these two chronic conditions account for nearly three-quarters of all kidney failure cases, reinforcing the importance of diabetes and blood pressure management as the primary prevention strategy.
New Diagnoses and Immediate Outcomes
Each year, thousands of new kidney failure cases are diagnosed in Arizona, and most patients begin dialysis rather than receiving an immediate transplant.
| Year | New Cases | Received a Transplant | Began Dialysis |
| Report year 2021 (Data year 2018) | 2,824 | 79 | 2,745 |
| Report year 2022 (Data year 2019) | 2,922 | 91 | 2,831 |
| Report year 2023 (Data year 2020) | 2,759 | 73 | 2,686 |
| Report year 2024 (Data year 2021) | 2,724 | 76 | 2,648 |
| Report year 2025 (Data year 2022) | 2,608 | 74 | 2,534 |
New kidney failure diagnoses have trended slightly downward, from 2,922 cases (2019 data) to 2,608 cases (2022 data). However, the proportion of newly diagnosed patients who receive an immediate transplant remains very small — consistently under 3.5% of new cases — meaning the overwhelming majority of newly diagnosed patients (over 96%) start dialysis rather than going straight to transplant.
Kidney & Renal Pelvis (K/RP) Cancer in Arizona
Late-Stage Incidence Rates by County (2018–2022)
In addition to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure, Arizona tracks the incidence and mortality of kidney and renal pelvis cancer.
| County | Rural/Urban | Age-Adjusted Incidence Rate (per 100,000) | CI*Rank | Average Annual Cases | % Diagnosed at Late Stage |
| Arizona (statewide) | — | 4.6 | — | 422 | 28.7% |
| US (SEER+NPCR) | — | 5.0 | — | 20,556 | 29.1% |
| Pima County | Urban | 3.8 | 12 | 55 | 22.9% |
| Mohave County | Urban | 4.1 | 11 | 18 | 27.1% |
| Yavapai County | Urban | 4.3 | 10 | 18 | 29.3% |
| Cochise County | Urban | 4.3 | 9 | 9 | 26.2% |
| Gila County | Rural | 4.4 | 8 | 4 | 25.6% |
| Yuma County | Urban | 4.6 | 7 | 12 | 25.6% |
| Maricopa County | Urban | 4.6 | 6 | 242 | 29.7% |
| Pinal County | Urban | 5.1 | 5 | 30 | 31.6% |
| Navajo County | Rural | 5.6 | 4 | 8 | 32.2% |
| Coconino County | Urban | 5.7 | 3 | 8 | 38.0% |
| Santa Cruz County | Rural | 7.3 | 2 | 4 | 38.6% |
| Apache County | Rural | 9.3 | 1 | 7 | 39.8% |
Arizona’s overall late-stage kidney/renal pelvis cancer incidence rate (4.6 per 100,000) is slightly below the national rate (5.0). However, the county-level data shows a clear pattern: several of the state’s more rural counties — Apache, Santa Cruz, and Navajo — have both the highest incidence rates and the highest percentages of late-stage diagnosis (32–40%), which may point to reduced access to early cancer screening in these areas. Maricopa County, by far the most populous county, accounts for the majority of average annual cases (242 of 422 statewide) despite having a moderate incidence rate.
Profile of K/RP Cancer Cases
- Newly diagnosed K/RP cases in 2014: 1,155
- Male-to-female diagnosis ratio: 5 cases in males for every 3 in females
- 20-year average incidence rate, males: 18.7 per 100,000
- 20-year average incidence rate, females: 10.0 per 100,000
- Cases diagnosed in persons age 65+: 51%
- K/RP deaths in 2015: 310
Men in Arizona are diagnosed with K/RP cancer at nearly twice the rate of women (18.7 vs. 10.0 per 100,000 over a 20-year average), and the state’s incidence rates have been rising over time, more so among men. While just over half of cases occur in people 65 and older, the disease also affects younger adults and children.
K/RP Cancer Deaths by Year
- 2011: 264 deaths
- 2012: 249 deaths
- 2013: 274 deaths
- 2014: 271 deaths
- 2015: 310 deaths
Annual K/RP cancer deaths fluctuated between 249 and 310 from 2011 to 2015, with 2015 representing the highest death count in that five-year span.
Incidence Trend, 2002–2022
The data shows the annual percent change (APC) in K/RP cancer incidence shifting from a period of growth to a period of stability:
- 2002–2009: Incidence rose at an average annual percent change of 3.0% (95% CI: 1.1 to 15.2).
- 2009–2022: Incidence was statistically stable, with an average annual percent change of 0.0% (95% CI: -4.0 to 0.7).
| Year | Observed Rate | Estimated (Trend) Rate |
| 2002 | 14.6 | 13.6 |
| 2003 | 13.7 | 14.0 |
| 2004 | 13.4 | 14.4 |
| 2005 | 14.7 | 14.8 |
| 2006 | 14.8 | 15.2 |
| 2007 | 16.4 | 15.7 |
| 2008 | 15.9 | 16.2 |
| 2009 | 17.2 | 16.6 |
| 2010 | 17.1 | 16.6 |
| 2011 | 16.2 | 16.6 |
| 2012 | 16.2 | 16.6 |
| 2013 | 16.2 | 16.6 |
| 2014 | 15.6 | 16.6 |
| 2015 | 16.5 | 16.6 |
| 2016 | 17.2 | 16.6 |
| 2017 | 17.4 | 16.6 |
| 2018 | 17.7 | 16.6 |
| 2019 | 17.0 | 16.6 |
| 2020 | 15.3 | 16.6 |
| 2021 | 15.9 | 16.6 |
| 2022 | 16.0 | 16.6 |
K/RP cancer incidence in Arizona rose steadily from 2002 (14.6 per 100,000) through roughly 2009–2018, before leveling off and even dipping somewhat from 2019–2022 (with a notable low of 15.3 in 2020, possibly related to reduced screening and diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic). Since 2009, the model treats the trend line as flat at an estimated rate of 16.6 per 100,000, consistent with the “stable” classification given to this period.
Age-Adjusted Incidence Rates by Cancer Site: Arizona vs. United States (2018–2022)
| Cancer Site | Arizona Rate | USA Rate |
| Bladder | 17.5 | 18.8 |
| Brain & Other Nervous System | 6.2 | 6.3 |
| Breast (Female) | 119.1 | 131.3 |
| Breast, in situ (Female) | 24.3 | 29.8 |
| Cervix (Female) | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Childhood, Ages <15 (All Sites) | 17.3 | 16.6 |
| Childhood, Ages <20 (All Sites) | 19.0 | 18.4 |
| Colon & Rectum | 32.0 | 36.7 |
| Esophagus | 4.1 | 4.6 |
| Kidney & Renal Pelvis | 16.3 | 17.5 |
| Leukemia | 12.2 | 14.3 |
| Liver & Bile Duct | 7.9 | 8.6 |
| Lung & Bronchus | 40.8 | 52.5 |
| Melanoma of the Skin | 32.3 | 23.1 |
| Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma | 15.2 | 18.5 |
| Oral Cavity & Pharynx | 9.8 | 12.1 |
| Ovary (Female) | 10.2 | 10.0 |
| Pancreas | 12.4 | 13.7 |
| Prostate (Male) | 80.0 | 116.4 |
| Stomach | 5.4 | 6.5 |
| Thyroid | 12.0 | 12.9 |
| Uterus (Corpus & NOS) (Female) | 24.0 | 27.9 |
Arizona’s overall cancer incidence rate (392.4 per 100,000) is notably lower than the national rate (448.6), and this holds true specifically for kidney and renal pelvis cancer, where Arizona’s rate of 16.3 is below the U.S. rate of 17.5. Arizona also has consistently lower rates than the nation for most major cancer types, including lung & bronchus, prostate, and colon & rectum. The state’s two clear exceptions are melanoma of the skin (32.3 vs. 23.1 nationally) and childhood cancers (slightly elevated for both under-15 and under-20 age groups), which stand out against the generally lower statewide cancer burden.
Dialysis Access and Quality Concerns
Access to dialysis care in Arizona is concentrated among a limited number of certified clinics, and the broader dataset flags care-quality concerns.
- More than 17,000 Arizonans have end-stage renal disease.
- Roughly 60% of those patients seek treatment among the state’s 130 Medicare-certified outpatient dialysis clinics.
- The data set references “repeat safety violations” and “critical resource shortages” putting Arizona dialysis patients at heightened risk.
With roughly 60% of more than 17,000 ESRD patients relying on just 130 certified clinics statewide, dialysis capacity in Arizona is concentrated in a relatively small network of providers. The cited safety violations and resource shortages suggest that the quality and reliability of care at these clinics is an ongoing concern for patient safety, separate from the broader supply-and-demand issues affecting transplantation.
Kidney Transplantation in Arizona
Transplant Waiting List and Transplants Performed
Demand for kidney transplants in Arizona far outpaces the supply of available organs, leaving many patients on extended waiting lists.
| Report Year | People on Waiting List | Transplants Performed (Year) | Increase vs. Base Year | Living Donor Transplants | Deceased Donor Transplants | Living Donor Change vs. Base Year |
| 2021 (2020 data) | 1,432 | 670 | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 (2021 data) | 1,331 | 718 | +66.6% (vs. 2011) | 140 | 578 | -22.7% (vs. 2011) |
| 2023 (2022 data) | 1,296 (as of 2/17/2023) | 765 | +85.7% (vs. 2012) | 152 | 613 | +2.7% (vs. 2012) |
| 2024 (2023 data) | 1,424 | 809 | +63% (vs. 2013) | 169 | 640 | +20% (vs. 2013) |
| 2025 (2024 data) | 1,750 | 763 | +67% (vs. 2014) | 171 | 592 | +32% (vs. 2014) |
Additionally, the data notes that only about 1 in 2 Arizonans on the kidney transplant waiting list received a transplant in both 2020 and 2022.
The waiting list grew sharply in the most recent report (1,750 people in 2024, up from roughly 1,300–1,400 in prior years), even as the total number of transplants performed has generally trended upward over the decade-plus comparisons (63–86% increases versus 2011–2014 baselines).
National Kidney Transplant Facts
Beyond Arizona-specific figures, the data set includes broader facts about the kidney transplant landscape.
- An estimated 1,500 Arizonans are waiting for a kidney.
- Nationally, 12 people die every day while waiting for a kidney due to a lack of donors.
- The average wait for a kidney transplant is 4 years.
- A long wait can affect transplant success, and waiting patients often become more ill — sometimes to the point of being disqualified from receiving a transplant altogether.
- More than 107,000 living kidney donors have given the “gift of life.”
- The number of living kidney donors has increased by 200% over the past 20 years.
- In 2010, fewer than 17,000 kidneys were donated nationally, while roughly 90,000 individuals were waiting.
The stark mismatch between supply and demand — fewer than 17,000 donated kidneys against roughly 90,000 people waiting as of 2010 — explains both the multi-year average wait time and the daily death toll among waiting patients. While living donation has grown substantially (200% over 20 years), it still has not closed the gap between supply and need.
Kidney Transplant Centers in Arizona
Arizona has six kidney transplant centers. The tables below compare them on donor-related programs, recipient-related programs, and patient outcomes.
Donor Programs by Center (Past 12 Months)
| Rank | Center | NKR Transplants (12mo) | Deceased Donor Prioritization | Living Donor Prioritization | Donor Shield | Remote Donation | Voucher Program | NKR Member Center | Equal Access Center | Donor Referral Network | Kidney for Life | Donor Care Network | Nutcracker Care Network |
| 1 | Mayo Clinic Arizona | 73 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| 2 | Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center | 0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 3 | Banner University Medical Center–Tucson | 0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 4 | Phoenix Children’s Hospital | 0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 5 | St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center | 0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 6 | University of Arizona Medical Center | 0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Totals | 73 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Mayo Clinic Arizona is the only center in the state participating in the National Kidney Registry’s donor-related programs and accounts for all 73 of the state’s NKR-facilitated transplants in the past 12 months. None of the other five Arizona transplant centers participate in any of the listed donor support programs.
Recipient Programs by Center
| Rank | Center | Kidney for Life | Low Eplet Transplants (12mo) | NKR Transplants (12mo) | NKR Living Donor Transplants (Prior Yr) | Total Living Donor Transplants (Prior Yr) | NKR % of Living Donor Transplants | Patient Microsites | Microsite Center of Excellence | Non-Steroidal Protocol | Voucher Program | NKR Member Center | Equal Access Center |
| 1 | Mayo Clinic Arizona | Y | 15 | 73 | 76 | 121 | 63% | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 2 | Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center | N | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0% | N | N | ? | N | N | N |
| 3 | Banner University Medical Center–Tucson | N | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0% | N | N | ? | N | N | N |
| 4 | Phoenix Children’s Hospital | N | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0% | N | N | ? | N | N | N |
| 5 | St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center | N | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0% | N | N | ? | N | N | N |
| 6 | University of Arizona Medical Center | N | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | N | N | ? | N | N | N |
| Totals | 15 | 73 | 76 | 162 | 47% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Prior year period: 04/01/2025–03/31/2026.
Across all six centers, 162 living donor transplants were performed in the prior-year period, with Mayo Clinic Arizona contributing 121 of them (and accounting for 63% of that center’s living donor transplants through the NKR specifically). The other five centers performed living donor transplants outside the NKR network entirely, ranging from zero (University of Arizona Medical Center) to 18 (Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center).
Adult Outcomes by Center
| Rank | Center | NKR Transplants (12mo) | Living Donor Transplants (Prior Yr) | LD 1-Yr Graft Survival | LD 3-Yr Graft Survival | LD 1-Yr Patient Survival | LD 3-Yr Patient Survival | DD 1-Yr Graft Survival | DD 3-Yr Graft Survival | DD 1-Yr Patient Survival | DD 3-Yr Patient Survival |
| 1 | Mayo Clinic Arizona | 73 | 121 | 99% | 92% | 100% | 94% | 94% | 85% | 98% | 91% |
| 2 | Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center | 0 | 18 | 100% | 97% | 100% | 97% | 98% | 94% | 97% | 94% |
| 3 | Banner University Medical Center–Tucson | 0 | 10 | 100% | 93% | 100% | 100% | 96% | 88% | 96% | 89% |
| 4 | St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center | 0 | 5 | 100% | 85% | 100% | 91% | 97% | 86% | 97% | 89% |
| 5 | University of Arizona Medical Center | 0 | 0 | 100% | 92% | 100% | 100% | 96% | 89% | 98% | 93% |
(LD = Living Donor Transplants; DD = Deceased Donor Transplants)
All five reporting adult centers show 1-year graft and patient survival rates of 94–100% for both living and deceased donor transplants, indicating consistently strong short-term outcomes statewide. Three-year outcomes show more variation, particularly for deceased donor 3-year graft survival, which ranges from 85% (Mayo Clinic Arizona and St. Joseph’s) to 94% (Banner Good Samaritan), suggesting some difference in longer-term graft durability across centers.
Pediatric Outcomes by Center
| Center | NKR Transplants (12mo) | Living Donor Transplants (Prior Yr) | LD 1-Yr Graft Survival | LD 3-Yr Graft Survival | LD 1-Yr Patient Survival | LD 3-Yr Patient Survival | DD 1-Yr Graft Survival | DD 3-Yr Graft Survival | DD 1-Yr Patient Survival | DD 3-Yr Patient Survival |
| Phoenix Children’s Hospital (only pediatric center) | 0 | 8 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 92% | 100% | 100% |
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is the only pediatric kidney transplant center in Arizona, and it reports near-perfect outcomes across nearly all measures, with the lone exception being a 92% three-year deceased donor graft survival rate — still a strong result for pediatric transplant recipients.
Financial Burden and Charitable Assistance
AKF Grants and Charitable Assistance by Year
Many dialysis and transplant patients rely on charitable assistance to afford insurance premiums and other health care costs not covered by insurance.
- 2020: 972 Arizonans received grants — $2.9 million in assistance
- 2021: 861 Arizonans received grants — $3,038,257 in assistance
- 2022: 816 Arizonans received grants — $2,855,252 in assistance
- 2023: 798 Arizonans received grants — $2,629,844 in assistance
- 2024: 867 Arizonans received grants — $2,818,563 in assistance
While the number of Arizonans receiving AKF assistance dipped from 972 in 2020 to a low of 798 in 2023 before rebounding to 867 in 2024, the dollar amount of assistance has fluctuated in a relatively narrow band of roughly $2.6–3.0 million each year, indicating a sustained and significant ongoing need for charitable health care funding among the state’s dialysis and transplant population.
Insurance Coverage of AKF Assistance Recipients
| Insurance Type | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Medicare Part B | 36.8% | 40.9% | 44.6% | 25% |
| Medigap | 31.1% | 27.2% | 23.4% | 27.3% |
| Employer Group Plans (incl. COBRA) | 18.9% | 17.7% | 17.2% | 20.1% |
| Commercial Plans | 10.5% | — | — | — |
| Medicare Advantage | 1.2% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Exchange | 3.4% | — | — | — |
| Annuity | 1.5% | — | — | — |
| Medicaid (in premium-charging states) | 0.1% | — | — | — |
Medicare Part B and Medigap together have consistently covered roughly two-thirds of AKF assistance recipients in Arizona from 2021–2023, reflecting how heavily the dialysis and transplant population relies on Medicare coverage (most ESRD patients qualify for Medicare regardless of age). The 2024 figures show a notable drop in the Medicare Part B share (to 25%) alongside a rise in employer group plan coverage, which may reflect a shift in the mix of patients served or a change in how the data was categorized that year.
Financial Hardship Among Dialysis Patients
- Average income of patients AKF helps: less than $25,000/year
- Average out-of-pocket costs for dialysis patients: more than $10,000/year
With average out-of-pocket costs exceeding 40% of average income for the patients AKF assists, the financial burden of dialysis care is severe — explaining why charitable premium and cost-sharing assistance, like that provided by AKF, is often essential to keeping low-income patients in treatment.
Patient Demographics Receiving AKF Assistance
- AKF-assisted patients who are Black: 34.7%
- AKF-assisted patients who are Hispanic/Latino: 20.9%
- AKF-assisted patients who are Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islander: 5.2%
- Total AKF-assisted patients who are minorities: more than 60%
Minority populations, particularly Black and Hispanic/Latino Arizonans, make up the clear majority (over 60%) of patients receiving AKF assistance, highlighting a disproportionate burden of kidney failure and its associated financial hardship on these communities.
Kidney Disease Among Medicare Patients (Earlier Snapshot)
An earlier, Medicare-specific data snapshot offers additional detail on the kidney disease population and the cost of treatment.
- Medicare patients diagnosed with CKD: 3,592
- Patients on dialysis: 6,409
- Patients with a kidney transplant: 7,770
- Patients on the transplant waitlist: 2,009
- Transplants performed in 2016: 609
- Patients who died while on the waitlist in 2016: 107
This earlier Medicare-focused snapshot (centered on 2016 data) shows a smaller, narrower patient population than the statewide totals in Section 2, since it captures only Medicare-covered patients. The 107 deaths recorded on the waitlist in 2016 alone reaffirm the real human cost of the gap between organ supply and patient need.
Average Cost to Medicare
- Dialysis patient (annual): $85,979
- Transplant, after first year: $32,586
- Kidney disease test: $80–$143
Maintaining a patient on dialysis costs Medicare roughly 2.6 times more annually than maintaining a transplant patient after the first year ($85,979 vs. $32,586), illustrating the long-term cost advantage of transplantation over ongoing dialysis — beyond its quality-of-life benefits for patients.
Conclusion
Kidney disease places a substantial and multifaceted burden on Arizona. More than 17,000 residents currently live with kidney failure, a population that has grown by double digits over the past decade even as the rate of growth appears to be slowing. Diabetes and high blood pressure remain the dominant drivers of new cases, and the data shows no sign that this will change without continued investment in chronic disease prevention.
A persistent gap between organ supply and transplant demand keeps thousands of patients on waiting lists for years, while deceased donor transplants continue to outpace living donor transplants by a wide margin. At the same time, the state’s transplant centers — led by Mayo Clinic Arizona, which performs the overwhelming majority of registry-facilitated transplants — report strong short- and long-term survival outcomes, showing that clinical care quality is not the limiting factor; organ availability is.
The financial toll of kidney failure is severe, with average out-of-pocket dialysis costs exceeding average patient income, making charitable assistance programs like AKF’s grants a critical lifeline, particularly for the minority communities who make up the majority of those served. On the cancer side, Arizona’s kidney and renal pelvis cancer rates remain below the national average, though rural counties show a concerning pattern of higher incidence and later-stage diagnosis. Together, these statistics point to ongoing needs in screening, transplant access, living donation, and financial support for Arizonans affected by kidney disease.
Sources:
- Explore Chronic Kidney Disease in Arizona | AHR
- Kidney failure (ESRD) – in Arizona
- Kidney Disease Mortality | Stats of the States | CDC
- KIDNEY DISEASE IN ARIZONA
- Kidney Transplant Centers in Arizona
- Kidney failure in Arizona: 2025
- Kidney failure – in Arizona: 2024
- Kidney Failure in Arizona: 2023
- Repeat safety violations, critical resource shortages put Arizona dialysis patients at heightened risk
- Kidney failure in Arizona: 2022
- Kidney Transplant Facts | National Kidney Foundation of Arizona
- Incidence Rate Report for Arizona by County Kidney & Renal Pelvis (Late Stage), 2018-2022
- Profile of Kidney and Renal Pelvis (K/RP) Cancer Cases in Arizona
- State Cancer Profiles > Interpretation of Historical Trends Data
- Quick Profiles: Arizona