| Apache County, Arizona | |
Location in the state of Arizona |
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Arizona's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | February 24, 1879 |
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| Seat | St. Johns |
| Largest city | Chinle |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
11,218.42 sq mi (29,056 km²) 11,204.88 sq mi (29,021 km²) 13.54 sq mi (35 km²), 0.12% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
71,518 6/sq mi (2.4/km²) |
| Website | www.co.apache.az.us |
Apache County is located in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census its population was 71,518. The county seat is St. Johns.
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Apache County contains parts of the Navajo Indian Reservation, the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and Petrified Forest National Park. Canyon de Chelly National Monument is entirely within the county.
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 11,218.42 square miles (29,055.6 km2), of which 11,204.88 square miles (29,020.5 km2) (or 99.88%) is land and 13.54 square miles (35.1 km2) (or 0.12%) is water.[1] The county is the sixth largest U.S. county in area (excluding boroughs census areas in Alaska), exceeded in size only by San Bernardino County, California (20,053 square miles), Coconino County, Arizona (18,617 square miles), the Nevada counties of Nye (18,147 square miles) and Elko (17,179 square miles), and Mohave County, Arizona (13,312 square miles).
Apache County has the most land designated as Indian reservation of any county in the United States. (Coconino County, Arizona and Navajo County, Arizona are a close second and third.) The county has 19,857.34 km2 (7,666.96 sq mi) of reservation territory, or 68.34 percent of its total area. The reservations are, in descending order of area within the county, the Navajo Indian Reservation, the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and the Zuni Indian Reservation, all of which are partly located within the county.
The following public use airports are located in Apache County:
A history of the area, written in 1896, records the following about Apache County.
In the late 1880s, the county Sheriff was Old West gunfighter legend Commodore Perry Owens. At that time, the county covered more than 21,177 square miles (54,850 km2) in territory. In September, 1887, near Holbrook in what is now Navajo County, Owens was involved in one of the Old West's most famous gunfights, when he killed three men and wounded a fourth while serving a warrant on outlaw Andy Blevins/Andy Cooper, an active participant in a raging range war, later dubbed the Pleasant Valley War.
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 5,283 |
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| 1890 | 4,281 | −19.0% | |
| 1900 | 8,297 | 93.8% | |
| 1910 | 9,196 | 10.8% | |
| 1920 | 13,196 | 43.5% | |
| 1930 | 17,765 | 34.6% | |
| 1940 | 24,095 | 35.6% | |
| 1950 | 27,767 | 15.2% | |
| 1960 | 30,438 | 9.6% | |
| 1970 | 32,298 | 6.1% | |
| 1980 | 52,108 | 61.3% | |
| 1990 | 61,591 | 18.2% | |
| 2000 | 69,423 | 12.7% | |
| 2010 | 71,518 | 3.0% | |
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Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 69,423 people, 19,971 households, and 15,257 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 31,621 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 76.88% Native American, 19.50% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.13% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.75% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 4.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 58.39% reported speaking Navajo at home, while 38.39% speak English and 2.71% Spanish [1].
There were 19,971 households out of which 43.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.30% were married couples living together, 21.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.60% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 4.04.
In the county the population was spread out with 38.50% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 18.70% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $23,344, and the median income for a family was $26,315. Males had a median income of $30,182 versus $22,312 for females. The per capita income for the county was $8,986. About 33.50% of families and 37.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.80% of those under age 18 and 36.50% of those age 65 or over. The county's per-capita income makes it one of the poorest counties in the United States.
Apache County is one of only 38 county-level census divisions of the United States where the most spoken language is not English and one of only 3 where it is neither English nor Spanish. 58.32% of the population speak Navajo at home, followed by English at 38.34% and Spanish at 2.72%.[2]
In 2000, the largest denominational group was the Catholics (with 19,965 adherents).[3] The largest religious bodies were The Catholic Church (with 19,965 members) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (with 8,947 members).[3]
The following School districts serve Apache County:
In addition several other schools, including charter schools and tribal schools operated by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs's Office of Education Programs, serve the county.
The Apache County Library District, headquartered in St. Johns, operates public libraries in the county.[4] The branches include Alpine Public Library (unincorporated area),[5] Concho Public Library (unincorporated area),[6] Greer Memorial Library (unincorporated area),[7] Round Valley Public Library (Eagar),[8] Sanders Public Library (unincorporated area),[9] St. Johns Public Library (St. Johns),[10] and Vernon Public Library (unincorporated area).[11]
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