Jefferson County, Idaho
Encyclopedia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Idaho
. The county was established in 1913, and was named after Thomas Jefferson
, the third U.S. President
. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 19,155 (2008 estimate: 23,860). The county seat
and largest city is Rigby
. Jefferson County is part of the Idaho Falls, ID, Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
of 2000, there were 19,155 people, 5,901 households, and 4,880 families residing in the county. The population density
was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 6,287 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.87% White
, 0.28% Black
or African American
, 0.46% Native American
, 0.23% Asian
, 0.08% Pacific Islander
, 6.76% from other races
, and 1.33% from two or more races. 9.96% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 32.7 were of English
, 10.9% German
and 9.2% American
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 5,901 households out of which 47.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.60% were married couples
living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.30% were non-families. 15.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the county the population was spread out with 36.30% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 19.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,737, and the median income for a family was $41,530. Males had a median income of $31,298 versus $19,755 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $13,838. About 8.00% of families and 10.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.
Richard Nixon
won the county with then John Birch Society
member John G. Schmitz
reportedly receiving 27.51% of the county's vote. No Democratic candidate has received more than 20% of the county's vote since, at latest, 1988.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The county was established in 1913, and was named after Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, the third U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 19,155 (2008 estimate: 23,860). The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and largest city is Rigby
Rigby, Idaho
Rigby is a small city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2000 census.The larger "Rigby area" includes such outlying unincorporated communities as Annis, Garfield, Grant, Labelle, and Clark...
. Jefferson County is part of the Idaho Falls, ID, Metropolitan Statistical Area
Idaho Falls metropolitan area
The Idaho Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in eastern Idaho, anchored by the city of Idaho Falls...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1105.55 square miles (2,863.4 km²), of which 1095.08 square miles (2,836.2 km²) (or 99.05%) is land and 10.47 square miles (27.1 km²) (or 0.95%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Clark CountyClark County, IdahoClark County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 1,022 . The county seat and largest city is Dubois...
- north - Fremont CountyFremont County, IdahoFremont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1893, and was named for the explorer John C. Frémont. As of the 2000 census the county had a population of 11,819 . The county seat and largest city is St. Anthony...
- northeast - Madison CountyMadison County, IdahoMadison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 27,467 . The county seat and largest city is Rexburg. Madison County is part of the Rexburg, ID, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The area was originally settled by members...
- east - Bonneville CountyBonneville County, IdahoBonneville County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 104,234. Its county seat and largest city is Idaho Falls...
- south - Bingham CountyBingham County, IdahoBingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 41,735 . The county seat and largest city is Blackfoot. Bingham County comprises the Blackfoot, ID, Micropolitan Statistical Area.Bingham County was created January 13, 1885, and...
- southwest - Butte CountyButte County, IdahoButte County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1917, and its county seat and largest city is Arco. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 2,891...
- west
National protected area
- Camas National Wildlife RefugeCamas National Wildlife RefugeAbout half of the Camas National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Idaho consists of lakes, ponds, and marshlands; the remainder is grass sagebrush uplands, meadows, and farm fields. Camas Creek flows through the length of the refuge....
- Targhee National Forest (part)
Highways
- Interstate 15
- US 20
- SH-22
- SH-28Idaho State Highway 28Idaho State Highway 28 is a long state highway in Idaho which runs from Salmon, Idaho to Interstate 15 near the Continental Divide.It runs through Tendoy, Idaho in Lemhi County, Idaho....
- SH-33
- SH-48
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 19,155 people, 5,901 households, and 4,880 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 6,287 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.87% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.28% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.46% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.23% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.08% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 6.76% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.33% from two or more races. 9.96% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 32.7 were of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 10.9% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and 9.2% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 5,901 households out of which 47.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.60% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.30% were non-families. 15.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the county the population was spread out with 36.30% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 19.30% from 45 to 64, and 9.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,737, and the median income for a family was $41,530. Males had a median income of $31,298 versus $19,755 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $13,838. About 8.00% of families and 10.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.
Presidential elections
Jefferson County is a traditionally Republican and conservative county. In the 1972 Presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 1972
The United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard...
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
won the county with then John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
member John G. Schmitz
John G. Schmitz
John George Schmitz was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and California State Senate from Orange County, California. He was also a member of the John Birch Society...
reportedly receiving 27.51% of the county's vote. No Democratic candidate has received more than 20% of the county's vote since, at latest, 1988.
Cities
- HamerHamer, IdahoHamer is a city in Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hamer is located at ....
- LewisvilleLewisville, IdahoLewisville is a city in Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. The population was 467 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Idahoan Foods, makers of instant mashed potatoes.Lewisville is part of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- MenanMenan, IdahoMenan is a city in Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 707 at the 2000 census.-History:Menan was the first settlement of Latter-day Saints in the Snake River Valley...
- Monteview
- Mud LakeMud Lake, IdahoMud Lake is a city in Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 270 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- RigbyRigby, IdahoRigby is a small city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2000 census.The larger "Rigby area" includes such outlying unincorporated communities as Annis, Garfield, Grant, Labelle, and Clark...
- RirieRirie, IdahoRirie is a city in Bonneville and Jefferson counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is part of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 656 at the 2010 census.- History :...
- RobertsRoberts, IdahoRoberts is a city in Jefferson County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 647 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Roberts is located at ....
- Terreton