Wayne County, Utah
Encyclopedia
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Utah
. It was formed from Piute County in 1892. The county gets its name from a man who served as delegate to the constitutional convention, in honor of his son who was dragged to death by a horse. As of 2000 the population was 2,509, and by 2005 had been estimated to decrease to 2,450. Its county seat
is Loa
.
, the county has a total area of 2466 square miles (6,386.9 km²), of which 2460 square miles (6,371.4 km²) is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km²) (0.25%) is water. The Green River
, passing through the canyons of Canyonlands National Park
, forms the eastern boundary. The San Rafael Desert occupies the center of the county. Thousand Lake Mountain
and Boulder Mountain
flank Rabbit Valley on the western end of the county, where beautiful forests contrast with the deserts to the east. The small population of the county is centered in Rabbit Valley, with one town of 200, Hanksville, located in Graves Valley North of the Henry Mountains. Wayne County is also home of Capitol Reef National Park
.
of 2000, there were 2,509 people, 890 households, and 669 families residing in the county. The population density
was 1 people per square mile (0/km²). There were 1,329 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.29% White
, 0.16% Black
or African American
, 0.36% Native American
, 0.08% Asian
, 0.16% Pacific Islander
, 1.24% from other races
, and 0.72% from two or more races. 1.99% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 890 households out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.50% were married couples
living together, 5.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the county, the population was spread out with 32.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 22.50% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,000, and the median income for a family was $36,940. Males had a median income of $26,645 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,392. About 12.70% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.10% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.
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 Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It was formed from Piute County in 1892. The county gets its name from a man who served as delegate to the constitutional convention, in honor of his son who was dragged to death by a horse. As of 2000 the population was 2,509, and by 2005 had been estimated to decrease to 2,450. Its 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....
is Loa
Loa, Utah
Loa is a town in, and the county seat of, Wayne County, Utah, United States, along State Route 24. The population was 525 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Loa is located at ....
.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 2466 square miles (6,386.9 km²), of which 2460 square miles (6,371.4 km²) is land and 6 square miles (15.5 km²) (0.25%) is water. The Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
, passing through the canyons of Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
, forms the eastern boundary. The San Rafael Desert occupies the center of the county. Thousand Lake Mountain
Thousand Lake Mountain
Thousand Lake Mountain is in South-Central Utah, United States, just North and West of Capitol Reef National Park and North of Boulder Mountain. Thousand Lake Mountain is surrounded by several small towns . The areas on and around Thousand Lake Mountain are used for farming, camping, hiking,...
and Boulder Mountain
Boulder Mountain (Utah)
Boulder Mountain in Utah, USA makes up half of the Aquarius Plateau of South Central Utah in Wayne and Garfield counties. The mountain rises to the west of Capitol Reef National Park and consists of steep slopes and cliffs with over 50,000 acres of rolling forest and meadowlands on the top...
flank Rabbit Valley on the western end of the county, where beautiful forests contrast with the deserts to the east. The small population of the county is centered in Rabbit Valley, with one town of 200, Hanksville, located in Graves Valley North of the Henry Mountains. Wayne County is also home of Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. It is 100 miles long but fairly narrow. The park, established in 1971, preserves 378 mi² and is open all year, although May through September are the most popular months.Called "Wayne Wonderland" in the 1920s...
.
Adjacent counties
- Emery County, UtahEmery County, UtahEmery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 10,860, and by 2009 had been estimated to decrease to 10,629. It was named for George W. Emery, governor of the Utah Territory in 1875...
- (north-central & east) - Garfield County, UtahGarfield County, UtahGarfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 4,735. It was named for James A. Garfield, President of the United States in 1881. Its county seat and largest city is Panguitch.-Geography:...
- (south) - Piute County, UtahPiute County, UtahPiute County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. The population in 2000 was 1,435, and by 2005 had been estimated to decrease to 1,365. It was named for the Paiute tribe of Native Americans. The county seat is Junction and the largest city is Circleville.-Geography:According to the U.S...
- (west) - San Juan County, UtahSan Juan County, UtahAs of the current census of 2010, there were 14,746 people and 4,505 households. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 50.4% Native American, 45.8% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% African American and 2.3% reporting two or more races...
- (east) - Sevier County, UtahSevier County, UtahAs of the census of 2000, there were 18,842 people, 6,081 households, and 4,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
- (north-west)
National protected areas
- Canyonlands National ParkCanyonlands National ParkCanyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
(part) - Capitol Reef National ParkCapitol Reef National ParkCapitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. It is 100 miles long but fairly narrow. The park, established in 1971, preserves 378 mi² and is open all year, although May through September are the most popular months.Called "Wayne Wonderland" in the 1920s...
(part) - Dixie National ForestDixie National ForestDixie National Forest is a United States National Forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar City. It occupies almost two million acres and stretches for about 170 miles across southern Utah. The largest national forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River...
(part) - Fishlake National ForestFishlake National ForestFishlake National Forest is located in south central Utah, USA. Its namesake is the largest freshwater mountain lake in the state.-Geography:...
(part) - Glen Canyon National Recreation AreaGlen Canyon National Recreation AreaGlen Canyon National Recreation Area is a recreation and conservation unit of the National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona, covering 1,254,429 acres of mostly desert...
(part)
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 2,509 people, 890 households, and 669 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 1 people per square mile (0/km²). There were 1,329 housing units at an average density of 0 per square mile (0/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.29% 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...
, 0.16% 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...
, 0.36% 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...
, 0.08% 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...
, 0.16% 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...
, 1.24% 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 0.72% from two or more races. 1.99% 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.
There were 890 households out of which 36.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.50% 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, 5.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.80% were non-families. 21.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the county, the population was spread out with 32.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 22.50% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,000, and the median income for a family was $36,940. Males had a median income of $26,645 versus $20,000 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 $15,392. About 12.70% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.10% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- BicknellBicknell, UtahBicknell is a town along State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 353, a slight increase over the 1990 figure of 327.-History:...
- Caineville
- FremontFremont, UtahFremont is a census-designated place in northwestern Wayne County, Utah, United States. It lies along State Route 72 just northeast of the town of Loa, the county seat of Wayne County. To the north is Fishlake National Forest. Fremont's elevation is...
- GroverGrover, Utah-External links:*...
- HanksvilleHanksville, UtahHanksville is a small town in Wayne County, Utah, United States, at the junction of State Routes 24 and 95. The town is just south of the confluence of the Fremont River and Muddy Creek, which together form the Dirty Devil River, which then flows southeast to the Colorado River...
- LoaLoa, UtahLoa is a town in, and the county seat of, Wayne County, Utah, United States, along State Route 24. The population was 525 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Loa is located at ....
- LymanLyman, UtahLyman is a town along State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, United States. The population was 234 at the 2000 census.Lyman was originally known as East Loa...
- TeasdaleTeasdale, UtahTeasdale is a census-designated place in western Wayne County, Utah, United States, between the Dixie and Fishlake National Forests. The population was 191 at the 2010 census. Teasdale lies along local roads south of State Route 24, southeast of the town of Loa, the county seat of Wayne County...
- TorreyTorrey, UtahTorrey is a town located on State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, eight miles from Capitol Reef National Park. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 171....