Graham County, Arizona
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Graham County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,533, making it the third-least populous county in Arizona. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is Safford. Graham County composes the Safford, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area. The county is home to several organizations including Eastern Arizona College and the Mount Graham International Observatory, which includes one of the world's largest and most powerful telescopes. Graham County is also home to the Arizona Salsa Trail and the annual Salsa Fest. Graham County contains part of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.


History

Joseph Knight Rogers, an early settler in the area, and a member of the Arizona Territorial Legislature, is known as the father of Graham County: he introduced the bill in the territorial legislature creating it. The new county was created from southern Apache County and eastern
Pima County Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
on March 10, 1881. Initially, the county seat was located in the city of Safford but was later moved to Solomonville in 1883. This change was undone in 1915, returning the county seat to Safford. Graham County is named after the mountain of the same name which was, in turn, named after Lt. Col James Duncan Graham. The county was the first in Arizona to break the tradition of naming counties for Native Americans.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. The county has various mountain peaks including Mount Graham, which is the highest mountain in the Pinaleno Mountains.


Adjacent counties

* Cochise County — south *
Pima County Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
— southwest * Pinal County — west *
Gila County Gila County ( ) is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,272. The county seat is Globe. Gila County comprises the Payson, Arizona micropolitan statistical area which is incl ...
— northwest * Navajo County — north * Apache County — north * Greenlee County — east


National protected areas

*
Coronado National Forest The Coronado National Forest is a United States National Forest that includes an area of about 1.78 million acres (7,200 km2) spread throughout mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. It is located in parts of ...
(part) * Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area (part)


Major highways

* U.S. Route 70 * U.S. Route 191 * State Route 266 * State Route 366


Demographics


2020 census


2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 37,220 people, 11,120 households, and 8,188 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 12,980 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 72.1% white, 14.4% American Indian, 1.8% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 8.2% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 30.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.1% were English, 9.2% were German, 6.9% were Irish, and 4.3% were American. Of the 11,120 households, 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.4% were non-families, and 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.50. The median age was 31.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $41,683 and the median income for a family was $48,005. Males had a median income of $41,732 versus $25,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,644. About 15.9% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.


2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 33,489 people, 10,116 households, and 7,617 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 11,430 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 67.1%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.9%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 15.0% Native American, 0.6% Asian, <0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 13.4% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. 27.0% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race. 16.4% reported speaking Spanish at home, while 6.4% speak a
Southern Athabaskan language Southern Athabaskan (also Apachean) is a subfamily of Athabaskan languages spoken primarily in the Southwestern United States (including Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah) with two outliers in Oklahoma and Texas. The languages are spoken in ...
. There were 10,116 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.47. In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.1 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,668, and the median income for a family was $34,417. Males had a median income of $30,524 versus $20,739 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,139. About 17.7% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.


Politics

In its early days Graham County was a solidly Democratic county. It voted for the Democratic nominee in every presidential election from 1912 to 1952, being one of only four Western counties outside New Mexico to support James M. Cox in 1920, and one of only five to support John W. Davis in 1924. Since the 1950s, however, Graham has become a reliable Republican county, usually rivaling Mohave and Yavapai as the most Republican in Arizona, and sometimes, as in 2004 and 2000, being the “reddest” of all the state's counties. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried Graham County since
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
– against Arizona native
Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...
– did so in 1964, though
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
, who carried significant national rural appeal as a Democrat in the 1990s, came close in 1996. The county was one of two in Arizona to vote against 2024 Arizona Proposition 139, which established a right to abortion in the state's constitution, along with neighboring
Gila County Gila County ( ) is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,272. The county seat is Globe. Gila County comprises the Payson, Arizona micropolitan statistical area which is incl ...
.


Communities


City

* Safford (county seat)


Towns

* Pima * Thatcher


Census-designated places

* Bryce * Bylas * Cactus Flats * Central * Fort Thomas * Peridot (partially in
Gila County Gila County ( ) is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,272. The county seat is Globe. Gila County comprises the Payson, Arizona micropolitan statistical area which is incl ...
) * San Jose *
Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...
* Swift Trail Junction


Unincorporated communities

* Bonita * Eden * Fort Grant


Ghost towns

* Aravaipa * Camp Goodwin *
Geronimo Gerónimo (, ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a military leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache bands the Tchihen ...
* Klondyke * Spenazuma


Indian communities

* San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation


County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Graham County. † county seat


Notable people

* Charles Stevens, Apache/Mexican actor *
Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant contestant, best known for her portrayal of Wonder Woman in the television series ''Wonder Woman'', aired on ABC and later on CBS from 1975 to 1979. Befo ...
, actress/singer * Charles Dudley (né Heaslip) born Fort Grant, film actor and make-up artist * Sarah Yeiser Mason, Academy Award-winning screenwriter * Spencer W. Kimball, former President of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
, was raised in Thatcher, and lived and operated a business in Safford between 1927 and 1943.


See also

* Frye Mesa Reservoir * National Register of Historic Places listings in Graham County, Arizona * USS ''Graham County'' (LST-1176) * Graham County Sheriff's Office


References


External links


Graham County official website

Graham County visitor information

Graham County Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control 1881 establishments in Arizona Territory Populated places established in 1881 Safford, Arizona micropolitan area