Weld County, Colorado
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Weld County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2000, the population was 180,936. The county seat is Greeley.
History
Weld County was organized as one of the seventeen original Colorado counties by the First Territorial Legislature on November 1, 1861. Until February 9, 1887, its boundaries included the area now comprising Weld County, Washington County, Logan County, Morgan County, Yuma County, Phillips County, and Sedgwick County.Weld County is named for Lewis Ledyard Weld, a lawyer and territorial secretary. He died while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War.[link]
In northeastern Weld County, there is an unmanned Minuteman III missile site which was the target of symbolic vandalism by Catholic peace activists in 2002.[link][link]
Geography
Weld County lies with the relatively flat eastern half of Colorado; the northeastern portions of the county contain the extensive Pawnee National Grassland.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 10,416 km² (4,022 mi²). 10,340 km² (3,992 mi²) of it is land and 75 km² (29 mi²) of it (0.72%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 180,936 people, 63,247 households, and 45,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 18/km² (45/mi²). There were 66,194 housing units at an average density of 6/km² (17/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.71% White, 0.56% Black or African American, 0.87% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 13.29% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. 27.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 63,247 households out of which 37.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.50% were non-families. 21.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.20% under the age of 18, 13.20% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,321, and the median income for a family was $49,569. Males had a median income of $35,037 versus $25,757 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,957. About 8.00% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Weld County is Colorado's leading producer of cattle, grain and sugar beets, and is the richest agricultural county in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. It is also becoming more important as a milk producing county, with close to half of the state's cattle.[link][link]Cities and towns
- Aristocrat Ranchettes
- Ault
- Dacono
- Eaton
- Erie
- Evans
- Firestone
- Fort Lupton
- Frederick
- Garden City
- Gilcrest
- Greeley
- Grover
- Hudson
- Johnstown
- Keenesburg
- Kersey
- La Salle
- Lochbuie
- Mead
- Milliken
- Nunn
- Pierce
- Platteville
- Raymer
- Severance
- Windsor
External links
- [Welcome to Weld County, Colorado]
- [Greeley/Weld Economic Development Action Partnership, Inc. (EDAP)]
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