Apache County, Arizona
Apache County is a county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns.
Most of the county is occupied by part of the federally recognized Navajo Nation and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
History
The United States acquired this territory following its victory in the Mexican–American War in 1848. It was originally part of the New Mexico Territory established at the time. In 1863, during the American Civil War, Congress established the Arizona Territory to improve regional administration. It operated until 1912 when it was admitted as a state.In 1879 the Tenth Territorial Legislature organized Apache County from the eastern section of Yavapai County; officially all land east of 109°45′ W was included in the new county. As population increased in the area, by 1895, the legislature divided this county to create Navajo County and assigned some of the lands to the newly organized Graham, Greenlee and Gila counties. The county seat was first designated as the town of Snowflake, but a year later it was moved to St. Johns. From 1880 to 1882, the county seat was temporarily in Springerville, before being returned to St. Johns.
An 1896 history of the area described the county by the following:
Apache County was created in 1879 and lies in the northeastern corner of the Territory. Until March, 1895, it also embraced what is now Navajo County, but at that date the latter was set apart and established as a separate county. Apache County is justly noted for its great natural resources and advantages. It is destined some day in the early future to have a large agricultural population. Now, immense herds of cattle and flocks of sheep roam over its broad mesas and its fertile valleys. The Navajo Indians occupy the northern part of the county-in fact, occupy much of the remainder of the county, as they refuse to remain on their reservation, preferring to drive their sheep and cattle on lands outside their reservation, where the grazing is better. The southern part is a fine grazing country, while the northern part is cut up into picturesque gorges and canyons by the floods of past centuries.
In the late 1880s, the county sheriff was Commodore Perry Owens, a legendary Old West gunfighter. At that time, the county covered more than in territory. In September 1887, near Holbrook, in what is now Navajo County, Owens was involved in a famous gunfight: he killed three men and wounded a fourth while serving a warrant on outlaw Andy Blevins/Andy Cooper, a participant in a raging range war, later dubbed the Pleasant Valley War.
In 2015, Apache County had the highest rate of deaths due to motor vehicles in the United States, with 82.5 deaths per 100,000 people.
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation occupies part of the county, as does the Navajo Nation, whose territory extends well beyond it. The Apache and Navajo Nation are federally recognized tribes that long occupied territory here.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county is the third-largest county by area in Arizona and the sixth-largest in the United States.Apache County contains parts of each of the Navajo Indian Reservation and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and landholdings of the Zuni Indian Reservation that are not contiguous to their main territory. It also contains part of Petrified Forest National Park. Canyon de Chelly National Monument is entirely within the county and within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation.
Adjacent counties
- Greenlee County – south
- Graham County – south
- Navajo County – west
- Montezuma County, Colorado – northeast
- San Juan County, Utah – north
- San Juan County, New Mexico – east
- McKinley County, New Mexico – east
- Cibola County, New Mexico – east
- Catron County, New Mexico – east
Indian reservations
Apache County has the most land designated as Indian reservation of any county in the United States. The county has of reservation territory, or 68.34 percent of its total area. The reservations are, in descending order of area within the county, the Navajo Nation, the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, and the Zuni Indian Reservation, all of which are partly located within the county.National protected areas
- Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
- Canyon de Chelly National Monument
- Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
- Petrified Forest National Park
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
The most reported ancestries in 2020 were Navajo, English, Mexican, German, Irish, and Scottish.2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 66,021. Of the residents, 25.6% were under the age of 18 and 18.0% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.The racial makeup of the county was 22.5% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 71.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.9% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.8% of the population.
There were 22,103 households in the county, of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 32.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 28,723 housing units, of which 23.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.2% were owner-occupied and 26.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 71,518 people, 22,771 households, and 16,331 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 32,514 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 72.9% Native American, 23.3% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 1.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.8% of the population.The largest ancestry groups were:
- 69.6% Navajo
- 5.4% English
- 5.3% German
- 4.2% Irish
- 4.0% Mexican
- 1.4% American
- 1.1% Scottish
- 1.0% French
- 1.0% Polish
The median income for a household in the county was $30,184 and the median income for a family was $36,915. Males had a median income of $38,451 versus $31,557 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,294. About 26.9% of families and 34.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.8% of those under age 18 and 29.2% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 69,423 people, 19,971 households, and 15,257 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 31,621 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 76.9% Native American, 19.5% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 4.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 58.4% reported speaking Navajo at home, while 38.4% speak English and 2.7% Spanish.There were 19,971 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% 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 38.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% 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 33.5% of families and 37.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.8% of those under age 18 and 36.5% 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. 58.3% of the population speak Navajo at home, followed by English at 38.3% and Spanish at 2.7%.
In 2000, the largest denominational group was the Catholics. The largest religious bodies were The Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.