Yuma County, Arizona

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Yuma County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 counties in the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 203,881.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Yuma.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

Yuma County includes the Yuma, Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The county borders three states: Sonora, Mexico, to the south, and two other states to the west, across the Colorado River: California of the United States and the Mexican state of Baja California.

Being 63.8% Hispanic in 2020, Yuma is Arizona's largest majority-Hispanic county.<ref name="2020Census">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Long settled by Native Americans of indigenous cultures for thousands of years, this area was controlled by the Spanish Empire in the colonial era. In the 19th century, it was part of independent Mexico before the Mexican–American War and Gadsden Purchase.

Yuma County was one of four original Arizona counties created by the 1st Arizona Territorial Legislature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county territory was defined as being west of longitude 113° 20' and south of the Bill Williams River.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Its original boundaries remained the same until 1982, when La Paz County was created from its northern half.

The original county seat was the city of La Paz; in 1871 it was moved to Arizona City, later renamed as Yuma in 1873.<ref>Walker, Henry (1986). Historical Atlas of Arizona, p. 32. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. Template:ISBN</ref>Template:Dead link

Economy

This county is the highest crop producer in the state by dollar value per year.<ref name="2017-census-county" /> Yuma County tops the list for the categories of vegetables + melons + potatoes + sweet potatoes at $782,293,000, and fruits + tree nuts + berries at $62,499,000.<ref name="2017-census-county" /> Overall this is the second (to Maricopa) producing county for all agricultural products at $1,143,068,000 per year<ref name="2017-census-county">Template:Cite web</ref> and for organic production.<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp Almost all of the dates (Phoenix dactylifera) in the state are grown here,<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp about Template:Convert worth $35 million per year.<ref name="KAWC-dates">Template:Cite web</ref> This is the second highest citrus producer behind Maricopa,<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp a distant second in grapefruit,<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp limes,<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp and oranges<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp but producing far more lemons.<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp Some olives,<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp clingstone peaches,<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp and plums<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp are grown here. Yuma County produces almost all of the vegetable seed grown in the state.<ref name="2017-census-state" />Template:Rp The average farmer age is the lowest in the state, at 56.6 years.<ref name="2017-census-state">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Rp

During the winter agricultural season from November to March, some 40,000 Mexican workers cross the border daily to work in United States fields.<ref name="yuma"/> The area is watered by the Colorado River, and the sector supplies a large part of the US leafy vegetables.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Yuma Lettuce Days festival and agritourism is connected to Yuma agriculture. In 2017 the county produced vegetables worth $782,293,000, ranking first in the state and third in the entire country, from Template:Convert.<ref name="2017-census-state" /> Fruits brought $62,499,000, also first in the state, 56th out of >3000 counties in the country.<ref name="2017-census-state">Template:Cite web</ref> Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is a valuable native crop here.<ref name="advances" />Template:Rp From here it has also been introduced into cultivation in other countries.<ref name="advances">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

The Sweetpotato Whitefly (Silverleaf Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci) is a common pest here.<ref name="Charac-Man">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp The county is planted with large extents of several crops which serve as hosts.<ref name="Nic">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

Date trees (Phoenix dactylifera) were planted here in the 2010s.<ref name="Wakil" /> In this county, plantations suffer from the Carob Moth (Ectomyelois ceratoniae) and the Banks Grass Mite (Oligonychus pratensis).<ref name="Wakil">Template:Cite book</ref>

Leaders in the county are aware their economy is tied to that of Mexican states on the other side of the border; both have to be considered. "There are automotive plants in Ciudad Juárez, across from El Paso; aerospace plants in Mexicali, southwest of Yuma; and medical devices’ manufacturers in Tijuana, near San Diego. On the American side, there is a mix of retail stores, warehouses and trucking companies..."<ref name="yuma"/>

Because of Yuma County's location along the U.S.-Mexico border, large numbers of aliens entering the United States illegally pass through Yuma County. From October 2004 to July 2005, some 124,400 undocumented foreign nationals were apprehended in the area, a 46% increase over the previous year.<ref>Economist, August 27, 2005</ref> In 2014, however, only 5,902 people were apprehended. The report from the Congressional Research Service stated, "...it is unclear how much of the drop-off is due to increased enforcement and how much is a result of the U.S. economic downturn and other systemic factors".<ref name="l651">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="yuma">Fernanda Santo, "In Arizona County Where Latinos Have an Edge, So Did Trump", New York Times, December 13, 2016; accessed December 13, 2016</ref>

The Template:Visible anchor anticipates many agricultural jobs in the county will soon transition to robotics.<ref name="US-Economic-Development-Administration">Template:Cite web</ref>

Government

The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the county and a number of special districts. The board has members from five districts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Board adopts ordinances, establishes programs, levies taxes, appropriates funds, appoints certain officials, and zones property and regulates development in the unincorporated area. In addition, members of the Board represent the county on numerous intergovernmental agencies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In Arizona's first 52 years as a state, Yuma County was a primarily Democratic county, only voting for the Republican candidates four times in presidential elections prior to 1968. From 1968 onward, it has consistently voted for Republican presidential candidates. In 2016, county voters elected more Democrats to the Board than Republicans for the first time since 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, their margins of victory have been reduced in recent years as the county has rapidly grown in population and become majority-Hispanic. Donald Trump only won the county by 560 votes over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election of 2016. However, Trump's margin did improve to over 4,000 votes as he won the county again in 2020 over Joe Biden.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.1%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The lowest point in the state of Arizona is on the Colorado River in San Luis in Yuma County, where it flows out of Arizona and into Sonora in Mexico.

Yuma County is in the west, and northwestern regions of the north–south Sonoran Desert that extends through Sonora state of Mexico to the border of northern Sinaloa state. West of the county across the Colorado River in southeast California is the Colorado Desert, (a northwestern subregion of the Sonoran Desert). North of the county, with La Paz County the regions merge into the southeastern Mojave Desert. Southwest of Yuma County, is the entirety of Northwest Mexico, at the north shoreline of the Gulf of California, and the outlet of the Colorado River into the Colorado River Delta region, now altered with lack of freshwater inputs. Notable mountains in Yuma County include the Gila Mountains and the Tule Mountains.

Adjacent counties and municipalities

Template:Div col

La Paz County – north
Maricopa County – east
Pima County – southeast
Sonora, Mexico – south
Baja California, Mexico – southwest
Imperial County, California – west

Template:Div col end

Major highways

National protected areas

Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate

Template:Yuma, Arizona weatherbox

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 census

**Yuma County, Arizona – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	70,956	69,022	61,123	44.34%	35.26%	29.98%
Black or African American alone (NH)	3,136	3,169	3,484	1.96%	1.62%	1.71%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	1,819	1,957	1,888	1.14%	1.00%	0.93%
Asian alone (NH)	1,362	2,041	2,321	0.85%	1.04%	1.14%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	132	204	215	0.08%	0.10%	0.11%
Other race alone (NH)	131	216	622	0.08%	0.11%	0.31%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,718	2,230	4,225	1.07%	1.14%	2.07%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	80,772	116,912	130,003	50.47%	59.72%	63.76%
Total	160,026	195,751	203,881	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 195,751 people, 64,767 households, and 48,976 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 87,850 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 70.4% white, 2.0% black or African American, 1.6% American Indian, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 20.8% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 59.7% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 10.6% were German, 7.4% were English, 6.9% were Irish, and 3.2% were American.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 64,767 households, 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.4% were non-families, and 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.39. The median age was 33.8 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $40,340 and the median income for a family was $42,718. Males had a median income of $36,345 versus $27,262 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,418. About 17.6% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 160,026 people, 53,848 households, and 41,678 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 74,140 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The county's racial makeup was 68.3% White, 2.2% Black or African American, 1.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 23.6% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 50.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 43.7% reported speaking Spanish at home Language Map Data Center.

There were 53,848 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,182, and the median income for a family was $34,659. Males had a median income of $27,390 versus $22,276 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,802. About 15.5% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

File:Yuma County Incorporated and Unincorporated areas.svg

Map of Yuma County showing incorporated and unincorporated areas as well as Indian reservations in the county.

Indian reservations

County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Yuma County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Population (2010 Census)	Municipal type	Incorporated
1	† Yuma	93,064	City	1914
2	Fortuna Foothills	26,265	CDP
3	San Luis	25,505	City	1979
4	Somerton	14,287	City	1918
5	Avenue B and C	4,176	CDP
6	Wellton	2,882	Town	1970
7	Donovan Estates	1,508	CDP
8	Martinez Lake	798	CDP
9	Gadsden	678	CDP
10	Rancho Mesa Verde	625	CDP
11	Tacna	602	CDP
12	Orange Grove Mobile Manor	594	CDP
13	El Prado Estates	504	CDP
14	Dateland	416	CDP
15	Wall Lane	415	CDP
16	Drysdale	272	CDP
17	Wellton Hills	258	CDP
18	Padre Ranchitos	171	CDP
19	Buckshot	153	CDP
20	Aztec	47	CDP
21	Yuma Proving Ground	0	CDP

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Specific

Template:Reflist

General

"Cross-Border, Cross-Purposes". The Economist. August 27 – September 2, 2005.

External links

Template:Geographic Location

Template:Yuma County, Arizona Template:Arizona Template:Authority control

Template:Commonscat

Template:Coord