Duchesne County, Utah


Duchesne County is a county in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 19,596. Its county seat is Duchesne, and the largest city is Roosevelt.
WWW Official Site

History

Much of Duchesne County was part of the Uintah Reservation, created 1861 by US President Abraham Lincoln as a permanent home of the Uintah and White River Utes. Later the Uncompahgre Utes were moved to the Uintah and newly created Uncompahgre Indian reservations from western Colorado. At the turn of the century, under the Dawes Act, both Indian reservations were thrown open to homesteaders. This was done after allotments of land were made to Indians of the three tribes. The homesteading process was opened on the Uintah on August 27, 1905.
Unlike much of the rest of Utah Territory, settlement of the future Duchesne County area did not occur due to LDS Church pressures. It was settled by individuals who obtained 160 acres under the federal Homestead Act. Homesteaders were required to prove that they intended to farm the land. After five years of living on the land, making improvements, and paying $1.25 per acre, homesteaders were given title to their homesteads.
On July 13, 1914, a referendum was presented to voters of Wasatch County to partition the eastern part into a separate county. The referendum passed, so Utah Governor William Spry proclaimed on January 4, 1915. The county seat was decided by county vote on November 5, 1914, election. The new county was named for its county seat, which in turn was called for the Duchesne River, which flows southward and then eastward through the central part of the county near the city. Its name is of uncertain origin, but the holding theory is that fur trappers named it in the 1820s in honor of Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne, founder of the School of the Sacred Heart near St. Louis, Missouri, although other theories as to the name exist. The county boundary with Uintah County was adjusted by legislative act on March 5, 1917; Duchesne County boundaries have remained in their current configuration since that date.

Geography

Duchesne County's terrain is semi-arid, rough, and scarred with drainages. The Duchesne River drains the central part of the county. The county generally slopes to the south and east. The county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The northern part of the county contains much of the east–west oriented Uinta Mountains. The highest natural point in Utah, Kings Peak at, is located in Duchesne County.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Lakes

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 United States census and 2020 American Community Survey, there were 19,596 people in Duchesne County with a population density of 6.1 people per square mile. Among non-Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] people, the racial makeup was 16,736 White, 21 African American, 875 Native American, 60 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 47 from other races, and 533 from two or more races. 1,285 people were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 9,933 males and 9,663 females, and the population distribution by age was 6,328 under the age of 18, 10,598 from 18 to 64, and 2,670 who were at least 65 years old. The median age was 33.3 years.
There were 6,511 households in Duchesne County with an average size of 3.01 of which 4,937 were families and 1,574 were non-families. Among all families, 3,986 were married couples, 363 were male householders with no spouse, and 588 were female householders with no spouse. Among all non-families, 1,312 were a single person living alone and 262 were two or more people living together. 2,748 of all households had children under the age of 18. 5,124 of households were owner-occupied while 1,387 were renter-occupied.
The median income for a Duchesne County household was $61,655 and the median family income was $69,216, with a per-capita income of $25,086. The median income for males that were full-time employees was $62,929 and for females $35,847. 13.9% of the population and 11.0% of families were below the poverty line.
In terms of education attainment, out of the 11,755 people in Duchesne County 25 years or older, 1,270 had not completed high school, 4,510 had a high school diploma or equivalency, 4,362 had some college or associate degree, 1,159 had a bachelor's degree, and 454 had a graduate or professional degree.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 18,607 people, 6,003 households, and 4,703 families in the county. The population density was. There were 6,988 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 89.15% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 4.53% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 2.64% from other races, and 2.89% from two or more races. 6.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,003 households, of which 40.23% had children under 18 living with them, 64.72% were married couples living together, 8.65% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.66% were non-families. 45.0% of all households had individuals under 18, and 22.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05, and the average family size was 3.47.
The county population contained 33.91% under the age of 18, 6.56% from 20 to 24, 25.38% from 25 to 44, 20.92% from 45 to 64, and 10.66% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.80 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 100.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,298, and the median income for a family was $35,350. Males had a median income of $31,988 versus $19,692 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,326. About 14.20% of families and 16.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.60% of those under age 18 and 12.40% of those aged 65 or over.

Ancestry

As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Duchesne County, Utah are:
Largest ancestries Percent
English31.9%
German10.6%
Irish7.4%
American6.4%
Danish4.5%
Scottish4.3%
Swedish3.2%
Italian2.3%
Norwegian1.6%
Welsh3.1%

Politics and government

  • Clair Poulson, West Side Precinct Justice Court Judge
  • Travis Tucker, Sheriff
  • JoAnn Evans, County Clerk-Auditor
Duchesne County voters are traditionally Republican. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Former communities

Education

All areas in the county are in the Duchesne School District.