Pitkin County, Colorado

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 973 sqmi, of which 971 sqmi is land and 2.5 sqmi (0.3%) is water. The county's highest point is Castle Peak, a fourteener with a height of 14265 ft. It is 20 mi south of Aspen on the Gunnison County border.

Adjacent counties

• Eagle County – northeast
• Lake County – east
• Chaffee County – southeast
• Gunnison County – south
• Mesa County – west
• Garfield County – northwest

Major highways

• [[File:Colorado 82.svg|20px]] State Highway 82
• [[File:Colorado 133.svg|20px]] State Highway 133

National protected areas

• White River National Forest
• Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
• Holy Cross Wilderness
• Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness
• Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness

Trails and byways

• American Discovery Trail
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
• West Elk Loop Scenic Byway

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 17,358. Of the residents, 16.6% were under the age of 18 and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females there were 105.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.6 males. 67.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 33.0% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 85.2% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.8% from some other race, and 7.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.9% of the population.

There were 8,027 households in the county, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,245 housing units, of which 39.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.1% were owner-occupied and 39.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.2%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,872 people, 6,807 households, and 3,185 families living in the county. The population density was 15 /mi2. There were 10,096 housing units at an average density of 10 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.33% White, 0.53% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.37% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Of the population, 6.54% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,807 households, out of which 21.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.70% were married couples living together, 5.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.20% were non-families. Of all households, 35.80% were made up of individuals, and 3.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 16.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 38.30% from 25 to 44, 30.50% from 45 to 64, and 6.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $59,375, and the median income for a family was $75,048. Males had a median income of $40,672 versus $33,896 for females. The per capita income for the county was $40,811. About 3.00% of families and 6.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.40% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over.

Life expectancy

According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, residents of Pitkin County had a 2014 life expectancy of 86.52 years, the second-longest in the nation. Both men and women live longer in Pitkin County than nearly every other county in the United States. The life expectancy at birth is 85.2 years for men and 88.0 years for women. Two contiguous counties, Summit and Eagle counties, rank first and third in the nation respectively in life expectancy.

Factors contributing to the high life expectancy in Pitkin County are "high education, high income, high access to medical care, the people are physically active, obesity is lower than anywhere else—so you're doing it right", said Ali Mokdad, one of the study's co-authors.

In June 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked the county with the nation's fourth-best life expectancy, at 93.4 years.

Communities

City

• Aspen

Towns

• Basalt
• Snowmass Village

Census-designated places

• Norrie
• Redstone
• Woody Creek

Other unincorporated communities

• Buttermilk
• Emma
• Meredith
• Snowmass
• Wingo

Ghost towns

• Ashcroft
• Independence
• Lenado

Politics

Pitkin County favored the Republican nominee in the 1884 and 1888 presidential elections, but in 1892 supported the Populist nominee, James B. Weaver, when Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland wasn't on the ballot in Colorado. Pitkin County favored the Democratic nominees from 1896 to 1916, voting for them in every election in that period, and being one of the few Western counties to support Alton B. Parker in 1904. From 1920, Pitkin County followed national trends until being narrowly carried by losing candidate Thomas E. Dewey in 1944. Pitkin was largely Republican-leaning until the growing ski resort community drew its residents to the liberal George McGovern – rejected by a majority of the electorates of all but 129 other counties – in 1972. Like many ski destination counties, since 1988 Pitkin has turned heavily Democratic. The last Republican to carry the county was Ronald Reagan in 1984. George H. W. Bush was the last Republican to gain even a third of Pitkin County's vote since then. Joe Biden's performance in the 2020 election was the best by a Democrat in the county since 1900.

In this modern era, Pitkin has also frequently been one of the leading counties for third-party candidates, being the fourth-best county in the nation for Eugene McCarthy in 1976 and the third-best for John B. Anderson in 1980.

References

References

1. "QuickFacts: Colorado, United States". United States 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. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
10. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
11. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
13. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
14. Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura. (May 8, 2017). "Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among US Counties, 1980 to 2014". JAMA Internal Medicine.
15. "County Profile: Pitkin County Colorado".
16. Achenbach, Joel, "U.S. life expectancy varies more than 20 years from county to county," ''Washington Post'', May 8, 2017
17. Cirruzzo, Chelsea. (June 30, 2021). "The 25 Counties With the Longest Life Expectancy".
18. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1976&f=0&off=0&elect=0 1976 Presidential Election Statistics]
19. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1980&f=0&off=0&elect=0 1980 Presidential Election Statistics]
20. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".