Taos 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 U.S. state of

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,489. Its

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 Taos. The county was formed in 1852 as one of the original nine counties in New Mexico Territory. Taos County comprises the

Taos, New Mexico Taos () is a town in Taos County, New Mexico, Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Santa Fe ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.06%) is water. The county's highest point is the

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

of Wheeler Peak at . This summit is also the highest natural point in New Mexico. The county has the highest mean elevation of any U.S. county outside of

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

at , even though it ranks only 22nd overall. Taos County contains 17 of New Mexico's highest 25 peaks.

Adjacent counties

* Rio Arriba County - west * Mora County - southeast * Colfax County - east * Costilla County, Colorado - north * Conejos County, Colorado - northwest

National protected area

* Carson National Forest (part) * Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 29,979 people, 12,675 households, and 7,757 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 17,404 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 63.77%

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 ...

, 0.35%

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 ...

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 ...

, 6.59% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.12%

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 ...

, 24.84% from other races, and 3.95% from two or more races.

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 were 57.94% of the population. There were 12,675 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.70% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.80% were non-families. 32.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.98. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 28.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $26,762, and the median income for a family was $33,995. Males had a median income of $27,310 versus $21,121 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $16,103. About 16.10% of families and 20.90% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.60% of those under age 18 and 20.80% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 32,937 people, 14,806 households, and 8,437 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 20,265 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% white, 6.2% American Indian, 0.7% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 19.1% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 55.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 10.8% were English, 10.3% were German, 9.0% were Irish, and 1.2% were American. Of the 14,806 households, 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 43.0% were non-families, and 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 45.2 years. The median income for a household in the county was $35,441 and the median income for a family was $43,236. Males had a median income of $34,245 versus $28,325 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,145. About 14.5% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the

, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Towns

* Red River * Taos (county seat)

Villages

* Questa * Taos Ski Valley

Census-designated places

* Arroyo Hondo * Arroyo Seco * Chamisal * Costilla * Ojo Caliente (part) * Peñasco * Picuris Pueblo * Ranchos de Taos * Rio Lucio * San Cristobal * Talpa * Taos Pueblo * Vadito

Other communities

* Amalia * Cañoncito * Carson * Cerro * El Prado * El Rito * Las Trampas * Llano * Llano Quemado * No Agua * Pilar * Tres Piedras * Valdez

Politics

Taos County is heavily Democratic; the last Republican candidate to win the county was

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

in 1972 by just over 2%. Taos County often rivals Santa Fe County as the most Democratic county in New Mexico. Taos itself, Ranchos de Taos, Taos Pueblo, Taos Ski Valley, Picuris Pueblo, the Arroyo Seco and Arroyo Hondo areas, and the rural southern and western parts of the county all vote strongly Democratic, while the Red River area votes strongly Republican. Questa and El Prado are also Democratic-leaning, though they saw heavy Republican trends in 2024.

Education

School districts for the county include: * Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools * Peñasco Independent Schools * Questa Independent Schools * Taos Municipal Schools

In popular culture

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge is featured in the 1994 crime-drama film '' Natural Born Killers,'' in the 2007 comedy '' Wild Hogs,'' and in the 2009 film '' Terminator: Salvation''. The 2007 film '' Garbage Warrior'' documents architect Mike Reynolds who builds Earthships in and around Taos County.

References

External links

*
TaosCounty.net
{{Coord, 36.57, -105.63, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NM_source:UScensus1990 1852 establishments in New Mexico Territory Populated places established in 1852 Hispanic and Latino American culture in New Mexico