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Navajo County, Arizona

Coordinates: 35°29′52″N 110°17′23″W / 35.49778°N 110.28972°W / 35.49778; -110.28972
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Navajo County
County
Historic Navajo County Courthouse and Museum in Holbrook
Historic Navajo County Courthouse and Museum in Holbrook
Official seal of Navajo County
Seal
Map of Arizona highlighting Navajo County
Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
Map of the United States highlighting Arizona
Arizona's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°29′52″N 110°17′23″W / 35.4978°N 110.2897°W / 35.4978; -110.2897
Country United States
State Arizona
FoundedMarch 21, 1895
Named forNavajo Nation
SeatHolbrook
Largest cityShow Low
Area
 • Total
9,960 sq mi (25,800 km2)
 • Land9,950 sq mi (25,800 km2)
 • Water9.3 sq mi (24 km2)  0.09%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
106,717
 • Estimate 
(2023)
109,175 Increase
 • Density11/sq mi (4.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.navajocountyaz.gov

Navajo County (Navajo: Tʼiisyaakin Áłtsʼíísí Bił Hahoodzo) is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 106,717.[1] The county seat is Holbrook.[2]

Navajo County comprises the Show Low, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Navajo County contains parts of the Hopi Indian reservation, the Navajo Nation, and Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

History

[edit]

Navajo County was split from Apache County on March 21, 1895. The first county sheriff was Commodore Perry Owens, a legendary gunman who had previously served as the sheriff of Apache County. It was the location for many of the events of the Pleasant Valley War.[3]

Geography

[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 9,960 square miles (25,800 km2), of which 9,950 square miles (25,800 km2) is land and 9.3 square miles (24 km2) (0.09%) is water.[4]

Navajo County offers not only the Monument Valley, but Keams Canyon, part of the Petrified Forest National Park, and one of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forests in North America.

Nathan Korhman of The Atlantic described the county, in 2022, as "one of Arizona’s most rural regions", stating that a political canvasser would have to drive to get to a sequential house on a list to target, while in more urban areas such a canvasser would walk from place to place.[5]

Adjacent counties

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Indian reservations

[edit]

Navajo County has 6,632.73 square miles (17,178.7 km2) of federally designated Indian reservation within its borders, the third most of any county in the United States (neighboring Apache County and Coconino County are first and second). In descending order of territory within the county, the reservations are the Navajo Nation, Hopi Indian Reservation, and Fort Apache Indian Reservation, all of which are partly located within Navajo County.

National protected areas

[edit]
Petroglyphs at Rock Art Canyon Ranch near Winslow

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19008,829—
191011,47129.9%
192016,07740.2%
193021,20231.9%
194025,30919.4%
195029,44616.3%
196037,99429.0%
197047,71525.6%
198067,62941.7%
199077,65814.8%
200097,47025.5%
2010107,44910.2%
2020106,717−0.7%
2023 (est.)109,175[6]2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10] 2010–2020[1]

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census of 2010, there were 107,449 people, 35,658 households, and 25,923 families living in the county.[11] The population density was 10.8 inhabitants per square mile (4.2/km2). There were 56,938 housing units at an average density of 5.7 units per square mile (2.2 units/km2).[12] The racial makeup of the county was 49.3% white, 43.4% American Indian, 0.9% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.4% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.8% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 13.7% were German, 12.5% were English, 9.3% were Irish, and 2.3% were American.[13]

Of the 35,658 households, 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.3% were non-families, and 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.50. The median age was 34.7 years.[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $39,774 and the median income for a family was $45,906. Males had a median income of $41,516 versus $28,969 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,745. About 19.1% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.6% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.[14]

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census of 2000, there were 97,470 people, 30,043 households, and 23,073 families living in the county. The population density was 10 inhabitants per square mile (3.9/km2). There were 47,413 housing units at an average density of 5/sq mi (1.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 47.7% Native American, 45.9% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races, and 5.9% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.8% reported speaking Navajo at home, 5.9% other Southern Athabaskan languages, 4.7% Spanish, and 3.2% Hopi.[15]

There were 30,043 households, out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.68.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 35.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,569, and the median income for a family was $32,409. Males had a median income of $30,509 versus $21,621 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,609. About 23.4% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.6% of those under age 18 and 20.3% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census of religion

[edit]

Navajo County is among the most religiously diverse places in the United States. A 2020 census by the Public Religion Research Institute (unconnected to the official US census) calculates a religious diversity score of 0.876 for Navajo County, where 1 represents complete diversity (each religious group of equal size) and 0 a total lack of diversity. Only three other counties in the US have higher scores, all much more urban than Navajo County.[16]

Politics

[edit]

Navajo County leans towards the Republican Party. Although its Native American population makes up nearly half of the county, a demographic that politically favors those of the Democratic Party, the county has a strong Latter-Day Saint presence (particularly in population centers such as Snowflake) that normally allows Republican candidates to carry the county. Notably, the county has become more Republican in recent cycles such as in 2022 and in 2024. The county has not voted Democratic on a presidential level since 1996.

United States presidential election results for Navajo County, Arizona[17][18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 29,480 58.13% 20,754 40.92% 481 0.95%
2020 27,657 53.26% 23,383 45.03% 890 1.71%
2016 20,577 51.07% 16,459 40.85% 3,258 8.09%
2012 19,884 53.07% 16,945 45.23% 636 1.70%
2008 19,761 55.00% 15,579 43.36% 592 1.65%
2004 17,277 53.32% 14,815 45.72% 312 0.96%
2000 12,386 49.25% 11,794 46.90% 967 3.85%
1996 9,262 37.14% 12,912 51.78% 2,764 11.08%
1992 7,994 32.45% 10,882 44.17% 5,762 23.39%
1988 10,393 52.82% 9,023 45.86% 261 1.33%
1984 11,379 58.12% 8,017 40.95% 182 0.93%
1980 10,790 63.91% 5,110 30.27% 982 5.82%
1976 6,796 46.68% 7,323 50.30% 441 3.03%
1972 6,999 60.48% 4,003 34.59% 570 4.93%
1968 4,596 51.00% 2,930 32.51% 1,486 16.49%
1964 4,870 50.47% 4,770 49.44% 9 0.09%
1960 4,090 57.19% 3,052 42.68% 9 0.13%
1956 3,928 65.80% 2,033 34.05% 9 0.15%
1952 3,478 57.29% 2,593 42.71% 0 0.00%
1948 1,841 40.32% 2,669 58.45% 56 1.23%
1944 1,579 37.14% 2,660 62.56% 13 0.31%
1940 1,533 33.35% 3,052 66.39% 12 0.26%
1936 1,052 25.40% 3,037 73.32% 53 1.28%
1932 1,248 30.10% 2,602 62.76% 296 7.14%
1928 1,608 54.99% 1,316 45.01% 0 0.00%
1924 1,060 42.90% 684 27.68% 727 29.42%
1920 1,078 51.11% 1,031 48.89% 0 0.00%
1916 574 30.52% 1,240 65.92% 67 3.56%
1912 168 22.86% 287 39.05% 280 38.10%

Education

[edit]

School districts that serve the county include:[19]

There is a tribal elementary school called Little Singer Community School, affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).[20] Hataalii Yazhi, a medicine man,[21] in the 1970s proposed establishing the school so area children did not have to travel far for their education.[22] The school was named after him. The original buildings used two geodesic domes as features.[21] In 2014 the school had 81 students. By 2014 the original campus was described by the Associated Press as being in poor repair.[22] In 2004 the school first asked the BIE to get funding for a new building. The current campus had a cost of $28 million and an area of 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2). It uses intersecting circles as an architectural feature.[21] The current building was dedicated in November 2020.[23] It is physically in an unincorporated area 6 miles (9.7 km) southeast of Birdsprings, and has a postal address of Winslow.[24]

Transportation

[edit]

Major highways

[edit]

Airports

[edit]

The following public-use airports are located within the county:[25]

Communities and other places

[edit]

Cities

[edit]

Towns

[edit]

Census-designated places

[edit]

Other communities

[edit]

Native American communities

[edit]

Other places

[edit]

Ghost towns

[edit]

County population ranking

[edit]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Navajo County.[26][27]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Population (2010 Census) Municipal type Incorporated
1 Show Low 10,660 City 1953
2 Winslow 9,655 City 1900
3 Snowflake 5,590 Town 1953 (founded 1878)
4 Kayenta 5,189 CDP
5 † Holbrook 5,053 City 1917
6 Pinetop-Lakeside 4,282 Town 1984
7 Taylor 4,112 Town 1966
8 Whiteriver 4,104 CDP
9 Lake of the Woods 4,094 CDP
10 Heber-Overgaard 2,822 CDP
11 Linden 2,597 CDP
12 White Mountain Lake 2,205 CDP
13 Pinetop Country Club 1,794 CDP
14 Cibecue 1,730 CDP
15 Wagon Wheel 1,652 CDP
16 First Mesa 1,555 CDP
17 North Fork 1,417 CDP
18 Joseph City 1,386 CDP
19 Dilkon 1,184 CDP
20 Rainbow City 968 CDP
21 Second Mesa 962 CDP
22 Hotevilla-Bacavi 957 CDP
23 Pinon 904 CDP
24 Shongopovi 831 CDP
25 Whitecone 817 CDP
26 Hondah 812 CDP
27 Low Mountain 757 CDP
28 Kykotsmovi Village 746 CDP
29 Seven Mile 707 CDP
30 East Fork 699 CDP
31 Shonto 591 CDP
32 Greasewood 547 CDP
33 McNary (mostly in Apache County) 528 CDP
34 Chilchinbito 506 CDP
35 Pinedale 487 CDP
36 Tees Toh 448 CDP
37 Winslow West (partially in Coconino County) 438 CDP
38 Clay Springs 401 CDP
39 Sun Valley 316 CDP
40 Keams Canyon 304 CDP
41 Turkey Creek 294 CDP
42 Jeddito 293 CDP
43 Indian Wells 255 CDP
44 Woodruff 191 CDP
45 Oljato-Monument Valley 154 CDP
46 Fort Apache 143 CDP
47 Seba Dalkai 136 CDP
48 Hard Rock 94 CDP

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Navajo County". The Arizona Republican. March 23, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved March 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  5. ^ Kohrman, Nathan (December 14, 2022). "'She Made an Idiot Out of Me'". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  12. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  13. ^ "DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  14. ^ "DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  15. ^ "Language Map Data Center". Mla.org. July 17, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  16. ^ Public Religion Research Institute. The 2020 Census of American Religion (Report). p. 21. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  18. ^ Scammon, Richard M. (compiler); America at the Polls: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics 1920–1964; pp. 42–44 ISBN 0405077114
  19. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Navajo County, AZ" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022. - Text list
  20. ^ "Little Singer Community School". Bureau of Indian Education. Retrieved July 12, 2021. 6 Miles S. Birdsprings Chapter N71, Winslow, AZ, 86047
  21. ^ a b c Yurth, Cindy (November 5, 2020). "Little Singer School gets bold new building". Navajo Times. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Native American schools face decay, poverty". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Associated Press. October 19, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  23. ^ "Navajo Nation dedicates Little Singer Community School with Birdsprings community and Washington delegation" (PDF). Navajo Nation. November 2, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  24. ^ "Home". Little Singer Community Grant & Charter Jr. High School. August 28, 2011. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2021. Little Singer Community School, 6 miles SE of Birdsprings Rte 71, Winslow, AZ 86047 - "Little Singer Community School". National Center for Educational Statistics. Retrieved July 12, 2021. Physical Address: 6 miles south of Birdspring [sic] Chapter Winslow, AZ 86047
  25. ^ "Navajo County Public and Private Airports". www.tollfreeairline.com.
  26. ^ "By Decade".
  27. ^ "2010 Census Block Maps - Geography - U.S. Census Bureau". Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
[edit]

35°29′52″N 110°17′23″W / 35.49778°N 110.28972°W / 35.49778; -110.28972

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