Union County, New Mexico
| Union County, New Mexico | |
|---|---|
 Union County Courthouse in Clayton | |
 Location in the state of New Mexico | |
 New Mexico's location in the U.S. | |
| Founded | January 1, 1894 |
| Seat | Clayton |
| Largest town | Clayton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,831 sq mi (9,922 km2) |
| • Land | 3,824 sq mi (9,904 km2) |
| • Water | 7.1 sq mi (18 km2), 0.2% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 4,549 |
| • Density | 1.2/sq mi (0/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
Union County is the northernmost county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,549,[1] making it the fourth-least populous county in New Mexico. Its county seat is Clayton.[2] The county was formed in 1894.[3] Union County borders Colorado to the north, and Oklahoma and Texas to the east.
History
Union County, was created by an act of the territorial legislation in 1893 and was officially recognized on January 1, 1894, when the first slate of elected county officials received their oaths of office. The county is named “Union” because the citizens were united in their desire for the creation of a new county out of three existing New Mexico counties. Union County was subsequently “carved up” by the creation of additional counties, Quay in 1903 and Harding in 1920. At one time, Union County had a population of over 20,000. There were a number of bustling communities such as Amistad, Hayden, Sedan, Pasamonte, Gladstone, Mt Dora, Grenville, Des Moines, Folsom and Dedman (now known as Capulin).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,831 square miles (9,920 km2), of which 3,824 square miles (9,900 km2) is land and 7.1 square miles (18 km2) (0.2%) is water.[4]
Adjacent counties
- Las Animas County, Colorado (north)
- Baca County, Colorado (northeast)
- Cimarron County, Oklahoma (east)
- Dallam County, Texas (east)
- Hartley County, Texas (southeast)
- Quay County (south)
- Harding County (south)
- Colfax County (west)
Union County is one of the few counties in the U.S. to border counties from four different states. One of its neighbors is Cimarron County, Oklahoma, the only US county to border counties from five different states.
National protected areas
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 11,404 | — | |
| 1920 | 16,680 | 46.3% | |
| 1930 | 11,036 | −33.8% | |
| 1940 | 9,095 | −17.6% | |
| 1950 | 7,372 | −18.9% | |
| 1960 | 6,068 | −17.7% | |
| 1970 | 4,925 | −18.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,725 | −4.1% | |
| 1990 | 4,124 | −12.7% | |
| 2000 | 4,174 | 1.2% | |
| 2010 | 4,549 | 9.0% | |
| Est. 2013 | 4,370 | −3.9% | |
2010
Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:
- 81.7% White
- 1.8% Black
- 2.0% Native American
- 0.5% Asian
- 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
- 2.3% Two or more races
- 11.7% Other races
- 39.7% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
2000
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 4,174 people, 1,733 households, and 1,176 families residing in the county. The population density was 1.1 people per square mile (0.4/km²). There were 2,225 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.38% White, 0.96% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 16.00% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. 35.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,733 households out of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,080, and the median income for a family was $35,313. Males had a median income of $26,364 versus $18,711 for females. The per capita income for Union county was $14,700. About 14.20% of families and 18.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.40% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Town
- Clayton (county seat)
Villages
Census-designated place
Other communities
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "New Mexico: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries". New Mexico Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union County, New Mexico. |
 |
Las Animas County, Colorado | Baca County, Colorado | | |
| Colfax County |  |
Cimarron County, Oklahoma and Dallam County, Texas | ||
| ||||
 | ||||
| Quay County and Harding County | Hartley County, Texas |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
