Alamosa County, Colorado

History

Alamosa County was created by the Colorado legislature on March 8, 1913, out of northwestern Costilla County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 723 sqmi, of which 723 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi (0.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Saguache County, Colorado - north
• Huerfano County, Colorado - east
• Costilla County, Colorado - southeast
• Conejos County, Colorado - southwest
• Rio Grande County, Colorado - west

Major highways

• [[File:US 160.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 160
• [[File:US 285.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 285
• [[File:Colorado 17.svg|20px]] State Highway 17
• [[File:Colorado 150.svg|20px]] State Highway 150
• [[File:Colorado 368.svg|20px]] State Highway 368
• [[File:Colorado 370.svg|20px]] State Highway 370
• [[File:Colorado 371.svg|20px]] State Highway 371

National protected area

• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Other protected areas

• Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
• Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
• Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
• Rio Grande National Forest
• San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area
• Sangre de Cristo Wilderness

Scenic trails

• Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Transportation

Alamosa is served by San Luis Valley Regional Airport. The only commercial service is to Denver.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 16,376. Of the residents, 23.4% were under the age of 18 and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 35.0 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.1 males. 67.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 33.0% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 61.5% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 4.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 13.7% from some other race, and 17.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 47.0% of the population.

There were 6,377 households in the county, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 30.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 7,064 housing units, of which 9.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 58.0% were owner-occupied and 42.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 14,966 people, 5,467 households, and 3,651 families living in the county. The population density was 21 /sqmi. There were 6,088 housing units at an average density of 8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 71.19% White, 0.97% Black or African American, 2.34% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 20.34% from other races, and 4.16% from two or more races. 41.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 5,467 households 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% were married couples living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 27.30% of households were one person and 8.70% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.14.

The age distribution was 27.20% under the age of 18, 15.90% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.

The median household income was $29,447 and the median family income was $38,389. Males had a median income of $27,733 versus $22,806 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,037. About 15.60% of families and 21.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.40% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.

In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Catholics (with 5,716 members) and Evangelical Protestants (with 1,755 members). The largest religious bodies were the Catholic Church (with 5,716 adherents) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (with 1,155 adherents).

Politics

Alamosa County is a competitive swing county, voting for the winning presidential candidate in every election since its formation except 1944, 1960, 1976, 2016, and 2020.

Communities

City

• Alamosa

Town

• Hooper

Census-designated place

• Alamosa East

Unincorporated communities

• Estrella
• Hartner
• Henry
• La Fruto
• Mosca
• Waverly

Sheriff's Office

The Alamosa County Sheriff's Office is a county law enforcement agency in Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. It consists of 18 sworn law enforcement officers and 21 civilian support personnel.

Rank structure

License plate code

Alamosa County has used the following county codes on Colorado license plates issued to passenger vehicles in the county: XE-XG and EAA-ABD.

References

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
4. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
8. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
9. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
10. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
11. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
12. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. "County Membership Reports". thearda.com.
14. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
15. "Alamosa County Sheriff's Office in Alamosa, Colorado".
16. "Alamosa County Sheriffs Office / Alamosa County Jail - Alamosa, CO (Address, Phone, and Fax)".
17. [http://www.15q.net/coco.html Colorado County Codes]