Prowers County, Colorado


Prowers County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,999. The county seat is Lamar. The county is named in honor of John Wesley Prowers, a leading pioneer in the lower Arkansas River valley region.

Geography

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

Adjacent counties

Prowers County is home of the Antipode of the Indian Ocean island of Île Amsterdam and that island's settlement, La Roche Godon, making it one of the few places in the continental United States with a non-oceanic antipode. The center of Ile Amsterdam is at 37.8332° S, 77.5505° E; the antipode, 37.8332° N and 102.4495° W is about 10 miles southeast of Lamar.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,999. Of the residents, 25.3% were under the age of 18 and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.7 males. 62.5% of residents lived in urban areas and 37.5% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 67.8% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 2.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 16.0% from some other race, and 12.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 39.0% of the population.
There were 4,730 households in the county, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,437 housing units, of which 13.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 66.6% were owner-occupied and 33.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 12,551 people, 4,935 households, and 3,351 families living in the county. The population density was. There were 5,942 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 81.0% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 14.7% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 35.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 4,935 households 49.5% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.3% of households were one person and 11.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04.
The age distribution was 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% 65 or older. The median age was 36.7 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median household income was $33,969 and the median family income was $47,052. Males working full-time and year-round had a median income of $32,359 versus $28,727 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,429. About 18.7% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.8% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Like all of the High Plains, Prowers County is majority Republican. It has not been carried by a Democratic presidential nominee since Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 2024, Donald Trump received the highest percentage of the vote for any Republican in county history.

Education

Prowers County is served by four public school districts:
  • Granada School District No. RE-1
  • Lamar School District No. RE-2
  • Holly School District No. RE-3
  • Wiley School District
The county is also the home of Lamar Community College, which serves roughly 700 students annually.

Health care

in Lamar, a critical access hospital with 25 beds and a level IV trauma center, serves the county.

Communities

City