Graham County, Arizona

Graham County
Graham County
County
	Graham County Courthouse in Safford
	Location within the U.S. state of Arizona
	Arizona's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 33°00′33″N 109°53′07″W / 33.009166666667°N 109.88527777778°W
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Founded	March 10, 1881
Named for	Mount Graham
Seat	Safford
Largest city	Safford
Area
• Total	4,641 sq mi (12,020 km2)
• Land	4,623 sq mi (11,970 km2)
• Water	19 sq mi (50 km2) 0.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	38,533
• Estimate (2023)	39,525
• Density	8.3/sq mi (3.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Congressional districts	2nd, 6th
Website	www.graham.az.gov

Graham County is a county in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,533,^[1] making it the third-least populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Safford.^[2]

Graham County composes the Safford, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The county is home to several organizations including Eastern Arizona College and the Mount Graham International Observatory, which includes one of the world's largest and most powerful telescopes. Graham County is also home to the Arizona Salsa Trail and the annual Salsa Fest.^[3]

Graham County contains part of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.

History

Joseph Knight Rogers, an early settler in the area, and a member of the Arizona Territorial Legislature, is known as the father of Graham County. He introduced the bill in the territorial legislature creating Graham County.^[4] Graham County was created from southern Apache County and eastern Pima County on March 10, 1881.^[5] Initially, the county seat was located in the city of Safford but was later moved to Solomonville in 1883. This change was undone in 1915, returning the county seat to Safford.^[6]

Graham County is named after the mountain by the same name which was named after Lt. Col James Duncan Graham, and was the first Arizona county to break the tradition of naming counties for Native Americans.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,641 square miles (12,020 km²), of which 4,623 square miles (11,970 km²) is land and 19 square miles (49 km²) (0.4%) is water.^[7] The county has various mountain peaks including Mount Graham, which is the highest mountain in the Pinaleno Mountains.

Adjacent counties

Cochise County — south
Pima County — southwest
Pinal County — west
Gila County — northwest
Navajo County — north
Apache County — north
Greenlee County — east

National protected areas

Coronado National Forest (part)
Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area (part)

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	5,670		—
1900	14,162		149.8%
1910	23,999		69.5%
1920	10,148		−57.7%
1930	10,373		2.2%
1940	12,113		16.8%
1950	12,985		7.2%
1960	14,045		8.2%
1970	16,578		18.0%
1980	22,862		37.9%
1990	26,554		16.1%
2000	33,489		26.1%
2010	37,220		11.1%
2020	38,533		3.5%
2023 (est.)	39,525	^[8]	2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census^[9] 1790–1960^[10] 1900–1990^[11] 1990–2000^[12] 2010–2020^[1]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 33,489 people, 10,116 households, and 7,617 families living in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile (2.7 people/km²). There were 11,430 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 67.1% White, 1.9% Black or African American, 15.0% Native American, 0.6% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 13.4% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. 27.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.4% reported speaking Spanish at home, while 6.4% speak a Southern Athabaskan language.^[13]

There were 10,116 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.47.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.1 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,668, and the median income for a family was $34,417. Males had a median income of $30,524 versus $20,739 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,139. About 17.7% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 37,220 people, 11,120 households, and 8,188 families living in the county.^[14] The population density was 8.1 inhabitants per square mile (3.1 inhabitants/km²). There were 12,980 housing units at an average density of 2.8 units per square mile (1.1 units/km²).^[15] The racial makeup of the county was 72.1% white, 14.4% American Indian, 1.8% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 8.2% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 30.4% of the population.^[14] In terms of ancestry, 16.1% were English, 9.2% were German, 6.9% were Irish, and 4.3% were American.^[16]

Of the 11,120 households, 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.4% were non-families, and 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.50. The median age was 31.6 years.^[14]

The median income for a household in the county was $41,683 and the median income for a family was $48,005. Males had a median income of $41,732 versus $25,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,644. About 15.9% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.^[17]

Politics

In its early days Graham County was a solidly Democratic county. It voted for the Democratic nominee in every presidential election from 1912 to 1952, being one of only four Western counties outside New Mexico to support James M. Cox in 1920, and one of only five to support John W. Davis in 1924. Since the 1950s, however, Graham has become a reliable Republican county, usually rivaling Mohave and Yavapai as the most Republican in Arizona, and sometimes, as in 2004 and 2000, being the “reddest” of all the state's counties. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried Graham County since Lyndon B. Johnson – against Arizona native Barry Goldwater – did so in 1964, though Bill Clinton, who carried significant national rural appeal as a Democrat in the 1990s, came close in 1996.^{[citation needed]}

United States presidential election results for Graham County, Arizona^[18]^[19]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	10,749	71.52%	4,034	26.84%	246	1.64%
2016	8,025	65.34%	3,301	26.88%	955	7.78%
2012	8,076	67.84%	3,609	30.31%	220	1.85%
2008	8,376	69.40%	3,487	28.89%	206	1.71%
2004	7,467	69.65%	3,185	29.71%	68	0.63%
2000	6,007	62.16%	3,355	34.72%	302	3.13%
1996	4,222	45.42%	3,938	42.36%	1,136	12.22%
1992	4,169	42.98%	3,391	34.96%	2,139	22.05%
1988	5,120	59.18%	3,407	39.38%	125	1.44%
1984	5,247	62.35%	3,080	36.60%	89	1.06%
1980	4,765	59.85%	2,801	35.18%	395	4.96%
1976	3,659	52.59%	3,050	43.83%	249	3.58%
1972	3,575	60.15%	1,863	31.35%	505	8.50%
1968	2,327	47.21%	1,726	35.02%	876	17.77%
1964	2,655	48.82%	2,783	51.18%	0	0.00%
1960	2,491	54.35%	2,091	45.63%	1	0.02%
1956	2,384	58.55%	1,688	41.45%	0	0.00%
1952	2,191	49.90%	2,200	50.10%	0	0.00%
1948	1,209	35.71%	2,139	63.17%	38	1.12%
1944	1,151	32.43%	2,393	67.43%	5	0.14%
1940	1,161	26.94%	3,130	72.62%	19	0.44%
1936	680	15.54%	3,541	80.94%	154	3.52%
1932	718	19.81%	2,867	79.09%	40	1.10%
1928	1,238	43.27%	1,615	56.45%	8	0.28%
1924	813	33.17%	1,252	51.08%	386	15.75%
1920	1,062	45.72%	1,261	54.28%	0	0.00%
1916	497	22.02%	1,597	70.76%	163	7.22%
1912	103	9.74%	540	51.09%	414	39.17%

Communities

City

Safford (county seat)

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Linarite specimen from the old Grand Reef mine near Klondyke.

Ghost towns

Indian communities

San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation

County population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Graham County.^[20]^[21]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Population (2010 Census)	Municipal type
1	† Safford	9,566	City
2	Thatcher	4,865	Town
3	Swift Trail Junction	2,935	CDP
4	Pima	2,387	Town
5	Bylas	1,962	CDP
6	Cactus Flats	1,518	CDP
7	Peridot (Partially in Gila County)	1,350	CDP
8	Central	645	CDP
9	San Jose	506	CDP
10	Solomon	426	CDP
11	Fort Thomas	374	CDP
12	Bryce	175	CDP

Notable people

Charles Stevens, Apache/Mexican actor
Lynda Carter, actress/singer
Charles Dudley (né Heaslip) born Fort Grant, film actor and make-up artist
Sarah Yeiser Mason, Academy Award-winning screenwriter
Spencer W. Kimball, former President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was raised in Thatcher, and lived and operated a business in Safford between 1927 and 1943.