Delta County, Colorado
Delta County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,196.[1] The county seat is Delta.[2]
History
[edit | edit source]Delta County was created by the Colorado legislature on February 11, 1883, out of portions of central Gunnison County. The county was named from a delta of arable land at the mouth of the Uncompahgre River, where it flows into the Gunnison River.[3]
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,149 square miles (2,980 km2), of which 1,142 square miles (2,960 km2) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km2) (0.6%) is water.[4]
Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Mesa County – northwest
- Gunnison County – east
- Montrose County – south
Major highways
[edit | edit source]- File:US 50.svg U.S. Highway 50
- File:Colorado 65.svg State Highway 65
- File:Colorado 92.svg State Highway 92
- File:Colorado 133.svg State Highway 133
- File:Colorado 348.svg State Highway 348
National protected areas
[edit | edit source]- Dominguez Canyon Wilderness
- Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (part)
- Grand Mesa National Forest
- Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (part)
- Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
- Gunnison National Forest
State protected areas
[edit | edit source]Trails and byways
[edit | edit source]- American Discovery Trail
- Crag Crest National Recreation Trail
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Template:Usurped
- West Elk Loop Scenic Byway
Demographics
[edit | edit source]2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 31,196. Of the residents, 19.9% were under the age of 18 and 27.5% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 48.9 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.7 males. 26.3% of residents lived in urban areas and 73.7% lived in rural areas.[5][6][7]
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[8] | Pop 2010[9] | Pop 2020[10] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 23,945 | 25,685 | 24,907 | 86.03% | 82.98% | 79.84% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 135 | 137 | 121 | 0.48% | 0.44% | 0.39% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 150 | 190 | 121 | 0.54% | 0.61% | 0.39% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 83 | 146 | 236 | 0.30% | 0.47% | 0.76% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 7 | 12 | 9 | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 24 | 41 | 192 | 0.09% | 0.13% | 0.62% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 319 | 396 | 1,281 | 1.15% | 1.28% | 4.11% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,171 | 4,345 | 4,329 | 11.39% | 14.04% | 13.88% |
| Total | 27,834 | 30,952 | 31,196 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The racial makeup of the county was 83.7% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.6% from some other race, and 8.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 13.9% of the population.[7]
There were 13,075 households in the county, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[6]
There were 14,780 housing units, of which 11.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.6% were owner-occupied and 24.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%.[6]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]At the 2000 census there were 27,834 people, 11,058 households, and 7,939 families living in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9.3 people/km2). There were 12,374 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.29% White, 0.52% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.25% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 11.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[11] Of the 11,058 households 29.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.80% of households were one person and 12.40% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.89.
The age distribution was 24.00% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 26.50% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.60 males.
The median household income was $32,785 and the median family income was $37,748. Males had a median income of $31,348 versus $19,916 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,152. About 8.50% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.00% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
[edit | edit source]City
[edit | edit source]Towns
[edit | edit source]Census-designated place
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]Delta County votes predominantly Republican in national, state, and local elections. No Democratic presidential candidate has reached forty percent of Delta County's vote since Lyndon Johnson carried the county in 1964, and since 1920 Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 is the only other Democrat to gain a majority, although Roosevelt did win a plurality against Alf Landon in 1936.
Delta County is split between two house districts for the Colorado House of Representatives, House District 58 & House District 54.[12] Prior to the redistricting, which took effect in the November 2022 election, Delta County was split by House District 54 & 61.[13]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 230 | 55.96% | 174 | 42.34% | 7 | 1.70% |
| 1888 | 257 | 44.01% | 239 | 40.92% | 88 | 15.07% |
| "text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Populist |1892 | 237 | 33.05% | 0 | 0.00% | 480 | 66.95% |
| 1896 | 139 | 7.79% | 1,603 | 89.85% | 42 | 2.35% |
| 1900 | 822 | 35.69% | 1,352 | 58.71% | 129 | 5.60% |
| 1904 | 1,567 | 50.65% | 1,046 | 33.81% | 481 | 15.55% |
| 1908 | 1,838 | 42.92% | 2,006 | 46.85% | 438 | 10.23% |
| 1912 | 803 | 16.28% | 1,808 | 36.67% | 2,320 | 47.05% |
| 1916 | 1,612 | 33.75% | 2,817 | 58.97% | 348 | 7.28% |
| 1920 | 2,596 | 56.40% | 1,750 | 38.02% | 257 | 5.58% |
| 1924 | 2,752 | 54.36% | 1,345 | 26.57% | 966 | 19.08% |
| 1928 | 3,731 | 67.32% | 1,672 | 30.17% | 139 | 2.51% |
| 1932 | 2,341 | 37.00% | 3,467 | 54.80% | 519 | 8.20% |
| 1936 | 2,661 | 41.14% | 3,230 | 49.94% | 577 | 8.92% |
| 1940 | 4,175 | 57.07% | 3,044 | 41.61% | 96 | 1.31% |
| 1944 | 3,462 | 59.30% | 2,351 | 40.27% | 25 | 0.43% |
| 1948 | 3,158 | 48.82% | 3,171 | 49.02% | 140 | 2.16% |
| 1952 | 4,986 | 67.01% | 2,389 | 32.11% | 66 | 0.89% |
| 1956 | 4,531 | 64.71% | 2,458 | 35.10% | 13 | 0.19% |
| 1960 | 4,644 | 63.24% | 2,689 | 36.62% | 10 | 0.14% |
| 1964 | 2,883 | 42.24% | 3,927 | 57.53% | 16 | 0.23% |
| 1968 | 3,692 | 55.50% | 2,327 | 34.98% | 633 | 9.52% |
| 1972 | 4,890 | 67.73% | 1,903 | 26.36% | 427 | 5.91% |
| 1976 | 4,980 | 58.82% | 3,232 | 38.17% | 255 | 3.01% |
| 1980 | 6,179 | 66.97% | 2,348 | 25.45% | 700 | 7.59% |
| 1984 | 6,678 | 69.28% | 2,835 | 29.41% | 126 | 1.31% |
| 1988 | 5,449 | 59.59% | 3,521 | 38.51% | 174 | 1.90% |
| 1992 | 4,359 | 41.54% | 3,424 | 32.63% | 2,711 | 25.83% |
| 1996 | 6,047 | 54.48% | 3,584 | 32.29% | 1,469 | 13.23% |
| 2000 | 8,372 | 65.99% | 3,264 | 25.73% | 1,050 | 8.28% |
| 2004 | 9,722 | 68.66% | 4,224 | 29.83% | 213 | 1.50% |
| 2008 | 10,067 | 65.23% | 5,084 | 32.94% | 283 | 1.83% |
| 2012 | 10,915 | 68.54% | 4,622 | 29.02% | 388 | 2.44% |
| 2016 | 11,655 | 69.42% | 4,087 | 24.34% | 1,048 | 6.24% |
| 2020 | 13,081 | 67.53% | 5,887 | 30.39% | 402 | 2.08% |
| 2024 | 12,948 | 66.47% | 6,030 | 30.96% | 500 | 2.57% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:C.O. GovHead Template:C.O. GovRow Template:C.O. GovFoot
Media
[edit | edit source]The local papers are the Delta County Independent and the Merchant Herald.
Education
[edit | edit source]There is one school district in the county: Delta County Joint School District 50-J.[15]
Elementary Schools
[edit | edit source]- Cedaredge Elementary School
- Garnet Mesa Elementary School (Delta)
- Hotchkiss K-8 School
- Lincoln Elementary School (Delta)
- Paonia K-8 School
Middle Schools
[edit | edit source]- Cedaredge Middle School
- Delta Middle School
- Hotchkiss K-8 School
- Paonia K-8 School
High Schools
[edit | edit source]- Cedaredge High School
- Delta High School
- North Fork High School (Hotchkiss)
Higher Education
[edit | edit source]Technical College of the Rockies, a trade school offering technical training and professional certificates, is located in the city of Delta.
See also
[edit | edit source]
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado
Notes
[edit | edit source]- ↑ The unincorporated communities of Austin, Cory, and Eckert are all within the town limits of Orchard City.
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 103.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Delta County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Delta County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Delta County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ↑ "Colorado House Districts - West Final Approved Plan" (PDF). Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions. October 13, 2021.[dead link]
- ↑ "Legislative District Information After 2011 Reapportionment - House District 54" (PDF). Colorado Reapportionment Commissions. December 2011.[dead link]
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- ↑ Geography Division (December 17, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Delta County, CO (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 4, 2025. - Text list
External links
[edit | edit source]- State of Colorado
- Delta County Government website
- Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck
- Delta Real Time Weather
Template:Delta County, Colorado Template:Geographic Location Template:Colorado