Morgan County, Colorado


Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,111. The county seat is Fort Morgan. The county was named after old Fort Morgan, which in turn was named in honor of Colonel Christopher A. Morgan.
Morgan County comprises the Fort Morgan, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 29,111. Of the residents, 26.5% were under the age of 18 and 16.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 36.5 years. For every 100 females there were 100.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.5 males. 65.4% of residents lived in urban areas and 34.6% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 65.9% White, 3.3% Black or African American, 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 15.2% from some other race, and 13.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 36.3% of the population.
There were 10,519 households in the county, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 11,493 housing units, of which 8.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.9% were owner-occupied and 32.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 27,171 people, 9,539 households, and 6,973 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 10,410 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 79.65% White, 0.33% Black or African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 16.37% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races. 31.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 19,539 households 37.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 23.00% of households were one person and 10.90% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.29.
The age distribution was 30.40% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 19.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.30 males.
The median household income was $34,568 and the median family income was $39,102. Males had a median income of $27,361 versus $21,524 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,492. About 8.50% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.30% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

  • Brush
  • Fort Morgan

    Towns

  • Hillrose
  • Log Lane Village
  • Wiggins
Image:Northern Morgan County, Colorado.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Countryside in northern Morgan County

Census-designated places

Morgan County has long been one of the Republican Party's major strongholds in Colorado. It was one of only three Colorado counties to vote for the re-election of Herbert Hoover in 1932, and the only Democrat to obtain an absolute majority in the county since 1920 has been Lyndon Johnson in 1964 – although Roosevelt did win a plurality in 1936.
In other statewide elections, the county also leans strongly Republican, although it was carried by Democrat Roy Romer in 1990 – when he carried all but four counties statewide – by Dick Lamm in 1982 and by Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in 2010.